


The Battle for Beacon Hills

by StereKDestiel



Series: War Zone [2]
Category: Supernatural, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Character Death(s), Death, Fighting, M/M, Major Character Death(s), Profanity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-25
Updated: 2012-09-02
Packaged: 2017-11-05 23:44:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 106,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/412353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StereKDestiel/pseuds/StereKDestiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Packs of werewolves are descending upon Beacon Hills. The Argents have called the Winchesters and asked for their help in fending them off. The hunters and the Hale pack must put aside their differences if they want Beacon Hills to survive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to You and I Will Never Happen. I highly recommend reading that story first before reading this one, otherwise you might get lost. To do so, just click on the series name -- War Zone -- and click on the first entry. 
> 
> You and I Will Never Happen is a Teen Wolf-only story, so for you Supernatural fans that don't watch Teen Wolf, I'm sorry... but not really. Go watch Teen Wolf. Go ship Sterek. Then come read this. :)
> 
> For the Winchesters, this occurs after Dean and Castiel gets trapped (and freed from) in Purgatory. The Teen Wolf/Supernatural timelines probably don't match, but fuck it. They do in this story. I do what I want. 
> 
> There will be character death(s) in this story, including a possible Major death or two. It is a war after all.
> 
> The prologue is about a thousand words, but the chapters after that will be much longer. I have absolutely no idea how many chapters this series will have; I'm just going to write with the flow and see where it takes me. I do foresee this being a long story.

###  _**

Prologue

** _

  
A man with short pitch-black hair stood in front of a burnt down house. He was of average height and his physique was difficult to see, as he wore a trenchcoat of a deep hue of blue, so dark it was often mistaken for black. He has his arms crossed and behind the black sunglasses he wore, his eyes glowed sapphire blue before fading into a blue so dark it practically matched his trenchcoat.   
  
“Is it confirmed?”   
  
“Yeah,” came an answer. The voice belonged to a woman with ruby red hair pulled back into a ponytail. She had a bright neon green tank top on, paired up with a loud orange shorts. This woman liked to stand out. “It’s the Alcott pack. All of them. They’re dead.”   
  
The man in the trenchcoat growled.    
  
The woman was holding a skull. She pointed to a hole in the middle of its forehead and continued, “Bullet hole. Most of them were killed with bullets, but some weren’t. Since there’s only bones left, we can’t really tell how they died, but... there’s not really much that can kill a werewolf other than a bullet.”   
  
“Are you telling me werewolves did this?”   
  
“No. At least, not all of them. Some of the bullet casings we found reek of wolfsbane, so they must have been hunters.”   
  
The man groaned. “Hunters working with a pack? That can’t be good. I thought the Hales were all gone. Were we mistaken?”   
  
The woman shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ll look into Beacon Hills’ records and see what we missed. The Alcotts did say there was a hunter family living in town, the Argents I think--”   
  
The man growled and the woman shut up. “The _Argents_?” She nodded. “God damn it, why didn’t anyone tell me this?”   
  
“I guess the Alcotts didn’t think they were dangerous enough to refer to them by their names.”   
  
“Not dangerous enough? _Fools_. The very first werewolf hunter was an Argent. They know what they’re doing.” He sighed angrily.    
  
The woman asked, “Should we send someone to patrol the town? Check out the address we have for the Argents?”   
  
The man shook his head. “No. We’ll not make the same mistakes the Alcotts did. We will not underestimate the hunters. We wait until the others arrive. Let’s go.”   
  
The woman tossed the skull aside and wrapped his arm around the man’s waist. She rested her head on his shoulder and they began walking back into the forest.   
  
“Look on the bright side, Josh. One less Alpha for you to worry about.”   
  
Josh rolled his eyes. “Yeah, replaced by a family of good hunters who are apparently working with a pack. Unbelievable.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Dean Winchester sat on a chair in a small motel room. His brother, Sam, had just stepped out of the shower, naked apart from a towel wrapped around his waist. Castiel was sprawled on the bed, sleeping.  
  
Dean didn’t even notice the presence of his brother. He was staring at Castiel, deep in thought.  
  
“Hey Dean, you okay?”  
  
Dean blinked. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay.”  
  
Sam frowned. The Dean that came back from Purgatory was not the same man Sam knew. It had taken Sam ten months to find a way to free Dean and Cas from Purgatory. The time has obviously changed Dean. Cas wasn’t even an angel anymore, just a regular human, which would be why he was fast asleep right now.  
  
“Are you sure? You’ve been... different.”  
  
Dean laughed. “Dude. Cas told me the time difference between Purgatory and here is twice the difference between here and Hell. You say I’ve been gone for ten months? That means I’ve been in Purgatory for 200 years. I’ve been fighting, but mostly running away from everything we’ve ever killed for _two hundred years_. Can you even imagine what that feels like? I guess I’m just... not used to sitting around doing nothing. This is stupid, but I just feel... so old.  
  
“The worst part is... for two fucking hundred years, I haven’t had any pie. I’m going to get some now,” Dean announced, getting up and walking to the door. Sam’s cell phone rang. Dean stopped and turned to look at Sam. Sam sighed.  
  
“Hello?”  
  
“Hello?” An unknown voice said. “Am I speaking to the Winchesters?”  
  
Sam pushed the speaker button and shrugged. “Yeah, this is the Winchesters. Who’re you?”  
  
“My name is Chris Argent. I’ve been trying Bobby Singer’s number. It’s been disconnected? He gave me this number in case I couldn’t reach him. Could you give me his current number?”  
  
“Mr. Argent, I’m sorry, but Bobby’s dead. He’s been dead for a while now,” Sam said. Dean looked down at the carpet, hiding the pain in his eyes from Sam.  
  
“Goddamn it. Okay. Bobby always spoke highly of you guys... We’ve got a problem, do you guys think you can help us out?”  
  
“What kind of problem?” Dean asked.  
  
“The short version is, there’s a town in California called Beacon Hills. Several werewolf packs plan on invading it, very soon, and making it an all-werewolf town.”  
  
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Dean lambasted. “A werecity? Seriously? Yeah okay, we’ll be coming as soon as we can.”  
  
“Thank you. Call me back when you’re about to arrive and we’ll meet.” Chris hung up.   
  
Sam said, “Just like that? We don’t even know who that guy is. What if it’s a trap?”  
  
Dean shrugged. “I don’t really care. I can’t sit around here and do nothing. Besides, I really want to send some monsters to keep those fuckers in Purgatory company. And hey, it's California. Let’s go.”  
  
Sam sighed. Dean shook Cas until he woke up and filled him in. Once they packed everything they had up and loaded the Impala, Castiel and Sam boarded the car. Dean stood by the driver's seat and hesitated. He stroked the roof of the Impala and whispered, "Baby, I missed you so much," and climbed in.  
  
“Before we go to Beacon Hills, we’re making a pit stop,” Dean said. Sam cocked his head, using his eyebrows to ask what they were stopping for.  
  
“Pie.”


	2. Introductions

# Chapter One

“Are you sure?” 

“Yeah. I am. Do it.”

Derek nodded. Jackson offered his shoulder and Danny accepted, wrapping his arm around Jackson’s neck. Scott, Allison, Lydia and Stiles were standing nearby, watching. Danny took in a deep breath and exhaled, lifting his shirt up.

Derek’s Alpha teeth grew in and he bit Danny’s right side. Danny groaned in pain, squeezing the arm around Jackson’s neck. Derek let go. Blood began to trickle down Danny’s body. Lydia picked up the towel and wiped the streaks of blood up, then pressed it against the wound.

“Shouldn’t be too long,” Derek said. “Thank you for doing this. I’m sorry you had to.”

“It’s fine,” Danny replied. “It’s a small price to pay. I’ve got to protect my family and this town and there’s no way I’m going to be working with the Argents. Sorry, Allison --”

“Would you guys just fucking stop that already? I get it, you guys hate my parents and don’t want to work with them and all that, but would you guys stop apologizing to me every time you bring them up? I made a choice. I chose to be with this pack. I know what my parents are capable of. I understand why you guys say what you guys say. I say it too. Just stop it.”

Allison felt six pairs of eyes on her. She exhaled and shrank a little. “Sorry. Just... ignore me. Carry on.” Scott smiled and hugged Allison and said, “I’m sorry we made you feel that way.” Allison shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I mean, I understand... you guys are trying to be polite. They’re my family after all. I’m just saying, I’m here, a part of this pack. I don’t want you guys to look at me and say, ‘Oh, there’s an Argent’ -- I want to be recognized as a pack member.”

“Fair enough,” Derek agreed. “Thank you, Allison.”

Danny groaned. The attention went back to him and Stiles helped Jackson drag/carry Danny to the couch and laid him down. 

“Need anything?” Stiles asked. Danny grunted, “Just water.” Stiles nodded and went into the kitchen and picked out a water bottle from the refrigerator and brought it to Danny. 

They were at Stiles’ home. The Sheriff was out at the Argents. After Stiles recovered from the assault by the Alcotts, the pack focused on preparing for the upcoming events. The first thing that had happened was Danny volunteering to be bitten. Once he’d been turned, that would make every member of their pack a werewolf, except for Allison.

“Hey Allison,” Lydia whispered. “Just curious, but what about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know... the bite.”

“Absolutely not,” Derek interrupted. “Allison will not be receiving the bite.”

“Hey! Why do you get to decide that?” Allison demanded.

“I promised your father I would not turn you,” Derek said. “If I did, your parents would kill us all without hesitating. I have no interest in destroying the fragile relationship we have, not with what’s coming.”

Allison scowled. “I’ve thought about it. I don’t know if I want it. But... everyone here is one now, or will be. What if I want it? What then?”

Derek sighed. “I don’t know. I’m not sure what you want matters at this point. I’m sorry, Allison. If we and the Argents lose the little trust we have in each other, this town will not survive the assault. We can’t risk it.”

Stiles could smell Allison’s anger fuming. Scott looked helpless next to her, silently begging Stiles for help. 

“Okay! How about dinner? What do you guys want?” Stiles said in an attempt to break the tension.

It worked. Mostly.

\-----------------------------------

  
“So, you really think this is the best way to do this?”   
  
“Yes, Sheriff,” Chris Argent replied.   
  
The Sheriff was sitting at the Argents’ dining table. Victoria and Chris sat on the opposite side. Allison was out with the pack, as was Stiles, leaving just the three of them.   
  
The Sheriff sighed. “I’m not really sure how my men will handle this news.”   
  
“None of us can ever be really sure how we’ll react to something like this,” Victoria started. “We don’t have a choice if we want to prepare this town to the best of our abilities. We have to tell some people. I don’t think telling everyone would ever be a good idea, so we have to start small. Who better than the law enforcement officers?”   
  
The Sheriff nodded. “You’re right. I’m just trying to think, _how_ to say it. How to tell them without them reacting bad.” He rubbed his forehead. “Without them pulling out their guns and shooting the wrong people. We would have to tell them which werewolves are on our side. I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with that idea.”   
  
“Because of your son?” Chris asked. The Sheriff nodded. “Yeah, I heard about that. I’m sorry.”    
  
“I’m not,” The Sheriff said. Chris’ eyebrows raised in question. “Don’t get me wrong, the whole werewolf thing does bother me a little, but if the alternative is death... I’m very glad my son is a werewolf then. After what happened to my wife, I don’t think I could handle losing my son as well.”   
  
Victoria smiled a pitiful smile, but Chris understood. He nodded and added, “For you, I am glad your son survived. He just needs to be careful. Being a werewolf is dangerous. You need to understand that our priority is to protect the innocent. If he gets in the way of that...”   
  
“He won’t,” the Sheriff said firmly. Chris pursed his lips, unsure if the Sheriff understood what he meant.   
  
“Let me know when you’re going to tell your men. I’ll be there to give them the details. You should probably consider having your son transform to show them just how serious this situation is.”   
  
“Probably,” the Sheriff agreed. Victoria glanced at a clock and nudged Chris, pointing to her wrist where her imaginary watch existed. Chris looked down at her wrist and acknowledged.   
  
“I’m sorry, Sheriff. I don’t mean to kick you out, but I have to go meet some hunters who’re coming into town. I’ve never met them before, so I need to explain the situation to them before they meet anybody from the Hale pack.”   
  
“No problem, I understand. Thank you for your time.” The Sheriff got up and shook the hands of Chris and Victoria then exited the house. Chris followed, watched his police cruiser leave, and turned to his wife.    
  
“Okay. That went better than expected. Now, here’s to hoping the Winchesters won’t be giving us a hard time. I don’t imagine it’ll be easy for them to work with the very things they’ve been hunting.”   
  
“Probably not, but you have to make them understand, Chris. If not for the sake of the town, do it for our daughter’s sake.”   
  
Chris smiled. He placed a quick peck on Victoria’s cheek and boarded his SUV and departed.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“So, this is Beacon Hills,” Dean commented. “A town that’s somehow in the middle of the forest. I can see why werewolves want to make this town their new den.”   
  
Sam nodded in agreement. Castiel sat in the backseat, staring at Dean rather obviously. Neither of the brothers noticed.    
  
“That’s the diner Argent told us about,” Sam pointed out. Dean turned into the diner parking lot, parked the car, and got out.   
  
“Pie! Cas, burgers for you. Let’s go.”   
  
“You really miss pie, don’t you? What about me? Didn’t you miss me?” Sam joked. Dean’s eyes got dark. Sam mentally cursed himself and rushed to Dean's side and pulled his brother close and cheerfully said, “Let’s get you some pie, jerk.”   
  
“Bitch. Don’t even say it, Cas.”   
  
Castiel closed his mouth, thought about it, then said, “Assbutts,” anyway and followed the laughing brothers into the diner.   
  
“Hello! Welcome to the Diner. Please seat yourself and a server will be with you shortly.”   
  
“We’re looking for an Argent?” Sam asked.   
  
“Oh, that’d be him in the corner table,” the cashier pointed. Sam nodded his thanks and head toward them, the other two trailing behind. Approaching the man, Sam said, “Are you Chris Argent?”   
  
The man turned and got up. “Yes, I am,” he said, extending his hand. Sam gripped it and shook. “My name’s Sam Winchester and this is my brother, Dean. That’s Castiel.” Chris shook their hands in turn. They took their seats.   
  
A server arrived at the table and asked for their orders.   
  
“Two bacon cheeseburgers for me and Cas,” Dean ordered. “And the best pie you’ve got. An entire pie, not just a slice.” Sam rolled his eyes lovingly and ordered a salad.   
  
“So, what’s the situation?” Dean asked.   
  
“The first thing you need to know is that there’s a pack living in town here. However, they’re not bad people. They’re mostly kids, apart from their Alpha. One night, one of the humans in the pack --”   
  
“ _Humans_?” Sam interrupted, frowning. “As in, multiple? In a pack? I’ve never heard of that.”   
  
Chris nodded. “Yes, humans. Like I said, this is an odd pack. I’ve been hunting werewolves for years, and I’ve never seen a pack like this. Anyway, one night one of the humans -- the Sheriff’s son, in fact -- was kidnapped. They tortured him. It was really ugly. My daughter asked me to help them --”   
  
“Your daughter?” Dean interrupted. “Is she...?”   
  
“She’s one of the humans in the pack, yes. I don’t like it either. My wife and I and the other hunters in town met up with them and we went to the house in the woods where the boy was. We set up a trap for them and it worked pretty well. There were seventeen of them, and we killed them all. Unfortunately, they bit the boy and he turned.   
  
“That’s the least of our concerns, however. After the battle was done, we torn apart their house and found a lot of information about why they were here. They planned to hit this town hard. They were going to force everyone into accepting bites. If they refused, they would have been killed off. They didn’t care how many of us died, since they were bringing a lot of people.    
  
“They plan on making this town completely 100% werewolf. We don’t know why. We just know that’s their plan. The pack we took care of was just the first to arrive. The others should be arriving shortly... and from the information we found, some of the packs are even larger than the one we killed off.”   
  
“Wow, that does not sound good,” Dean said. “Damn, Cas, if only you were still an angel, you could just wipe them all out and our job would be done.”   
  
“I’m sorry, you know Purgatory drained almost all of my grace.”   
  
“Sorry, what?” Chris asked. Sam just shook his head. “Ignore them. Long story. This pack in town, how many of them are there?”   
  
“There’s seven of them. Five werewolves, two humans, including my daughter.”   
  
“And you trust them?”   
  
“I wouldn’t say trust, Dean. Especially since one of them is dating my daughter. However, like I said, this is a different pack than an usual one. The Alpha is only 24 years old. The rest are all 17 or 18. Teenagers, although sometimes I think they’re more like kids.”   
  
“That’s odd. I’ve never heard of a pack so young,” Sam wondered. “What happened to the rest of them?”   
  
Chris sighed. “That’s a complicated question.”   
  
“No, it’s not,” Castiel said. “It’s a rather simple question. A complicated question would be, why do the bees --”   
  
“Not now, Cas,” Dean interrupted. “Well, Chris?”   
  
“The Alpha’s name is Derek Hale. He was born a werewolf. He and his family lived in a house a few miles into the woods. Six years ago, a hunter burnt down the house and killed everyone inside except for one, Derek’s uncle, who was half burnt and ended up in a coma. Derek and his sister was at a school dance. They disappeared shortly afterwards.   
  
“A while ago, Laura, Derek’s sister, returned to Beacon Hills. She was the Alpha and she was killed. Derek returned to avenge her and eventually, he found out that the man that killed Laura was actually Peter, who had gone insane and wanted revenge against the hunter that killed his family. Derek killed him, which made him the Alpha.”   
  
“That’s a fucked up family,” Dean observed. Chris grimaced.    
  
“After you guys are done eating,” Chris spoke, “I’ll take you to meet the Hale pack.”   
  
“Sounds good,” Sam agreed. Dean asked, “Just curious, you hunt werewolves, right?” After Chris nodded, Dean added, “What else do you hunt?”   
  
“What else? What do you mean?”   
  
“What other supernatural monsters do you hunt?”   
  
“There’s other kinds?”   
  
“Yeah. Ghosts, vampires, wendigos, demons, et cetera.”   
  
Chris stared at Dean.    
  
“Seriously? Werewolves, that’s it? That’s adorable,” Dean chuckled. Sam kicked him under the table.   
  
“Ow! What was that --”   
  
Sam kicked him again. Dean grumbled and shut up.    
  
“There are also changelings, dragons, Angels, djinns, --”   
  
“Don’t forget the Jefferson Starships,” Dean added.    
  
“-- leviathans, fairies --”   
  
“I think he gets the point, Cas,” Sam dismissed.   
  
“You guys are fucking with me, right?”   
  
“No, Chris. We are telling you the truth. I am an angel, but most of my grace has been drained when --”   
  
“Okay, whatever you guys say. It doesn’t matter. We’re focusing on werewolves here,” Chris stated.    
  
Dean was going to argue with Chris, but their food had arrived. Dean and Cas’ eyes opened wide and they dove in, greedily gobbling down their food.   
  
“Oh my god, this pie is amazing,” Dean muttered, his mouth full of food. He still managed to shove another forkful of pie into his mouth. Castiel had a strip of bacon hanging outside his mouth and his cheeks were puffed out, full of the burger he was chomping on. He was staring at the burger like he intended to make passionate love to it.   
  
Chris watched in horrified amazement. Sam rolled his eyes and ate his salad normally.    
  
Dean glared at Chris. “What? Don’t judge me, it’s been two hundred years. I’m making up for lost time.”   
  
_They’re insane. The only one even remotely sane is Sam and even that, I question. As long as they’re good at what they do..._   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“I can’t believe you guys didn’t tell me. The smells, oh my god... And I can hear _everything_ ,” Danny blurted. “Do werewolves even understand the concept of privacy?”   
  
Jackson shrugged. “Not really.”   
  
“Good to know. I’m never masturbating again.”   
  
Allison and Lydia giggled. Derek cut off a piece of his chicken and ate it, ignoring the conversation. The pack was now at the Hale house for dinner, as Stiles' home was too small to fit everyone comfortably.   
  
“Yeah, judging from the smell, I’d say the last time you masturbated was yesterday, around 3 pm?”   
  
Jackson choked on his water and coughed violently. Danny glared at Stiles.    
  
“How the fuck can you tell? And why the hell did you say that out loud?”   
  
Stiles shrugged apologetically. Derek’s hand was frozen midair, the fork just about to enter his mouth. He lowered the fork and asked, “That is actually a very good question. I can smell it on him too, Stiles, but I can’t pinpoint the exact time. How did you do that?”   
  
Danny growled in embarrassment.   
  
Stiles shrugged again. “I don’t know. I just... can smell it, I guess.” Derek frowned and went back to eating his dinner. Stiles dropped his gaze onto his plate of food and ate silently.    
  
Derek kept glancing over to Stiles as he ate. After the initial awkwardness, Stiles has mastered his wolf. He didn’t even have a problem staying in control during his first full moon -- not even born werewolves can say that. And he’s an Alpha to boot, which is supposed to be much more difficult to control. Derek has been a werewolf for more than 24 years, and Stiles is barely a month old and yet, Stiles has better control than he does?   
  
Derek didn’t want to call it jealousy. He wasn’t jealous. But he was wary. Control came far too easily for Stiles. Something was up, but Derek had no idea what.    
  
“Hey,” Stiles interrupted Derek’s thoughts. “Do you guys hear that?”   
  
“Yeah,” Scott replied. “It’s your father’s SUV, Allison.”   
  
Stiles nodded but added, “He’s not alone. There’s another car with him.”   
  
Derek could hear the car now. But Stiles had caught it before him. What the hell?   
  
The pack got met Chris out in the front lawn. Derek whistled as an Impala pulled up next to Chris’ SUV and parked.   
  
“Nice car,” Derek complimented. “‘67 Impala?”   
  
The driver stepped out and said, “A man with taste! I like you already.” An extremely tall man stepped out of the passenger door, then a man in a tan trenchcoat climbed out. Derek immediately glued his eyes on this man -- he did not smell human.   
  
Chris did the introductions. “These are the Winchesters. This is Sam, Castiel, and Dean.” He turned to the pack and said, “This is Derek Hale, the Alpha. That would be Jackson, Danny, Stiles, Lydia, Scott and my daughter, Allison.”   
  
“You really weren’t kidding, Chris,” Sam said in amazement. “They’re just kids.” Dean’s gaze landed on Derek’s face and he asked “What’s up with you? You look constipated.”   
  
Derek growled. Stiles stepped forward, his hand on Derek’s chest. He walked a step then another step toward Castiel. He took another sniff.   
  
“You’re not human. You’re not a werewolf either. What are you?” Stiles demanded. Castiel cocked his head and replied, “I am an Angel of the Lord.”   
  
“A _what?_ ”   
  
“You heard him. He’s an angel. Moving on,” Dean said. “Derek, please don’t tell me this is the same house your family died in.” After Derek glared at him then gave a quick nod, Dean started, “What the hell is wrong with you? How can you live in there?”   
  
Derek growled again and stepped toward Dean threateningly. Dean continued, “A demon killed my mother when I was four. I held Sam in my arms and watched my house burn down with my mother trapped inside. I couldn’t step back inside that house for _years_ , and you’re living in _there_? You really are fucked up.”   
  
Derek’s growl rumbled louder.    
  
“Dean,” Sam sharply said. “Stop provoking them. I apologize for my brother, he’s been... out of touch with humanity for a long time. I hear we’ll be working together, so we wanted to talk to the one they tortured? Stiles, right?”   
  
Stiles nodded. “That’d be me.”   
  
“Okay. Could we go somewhere and talk? I just want to know what they did to you and what they asked. Would that be fine with you?”   
  
“Sure. We can talk inside,” Stiles said and walked up to the stairs. Before Sam followed, he turned to Dean and whispered, “ _Behave._ They’re not our enemy.” Dean muttered and made a face behind Sam’s back as he walked away.    
  
“So,” Dean spoke. “I know you’re not a werewolf, Allison. Which one of you is the other human?”   
  
“That would be Danny,” Chris said, pointing to him. Danny shook his head. “Not anymore. Allison’s the only one now.”   
  
“Oh.” Chris looked over at Allison. His glare said exactly what Allison knew it would, _And make sure it stays that way._ She rolled her eyes.   
  
“Dad, I’m eighteen. If I want the bite, you can’t stop me.”   
  
“ _Allison,_ ” Chris did an impressive job of growling. “Do _not_ test me.”   
  
“Dad, I’m serious. I get it, but I am an adult now. I can make my own choices. And don’t think I don’t know what this choice means, I know perfectly well. I know what hunters do. I know what Kate did, remember?”   
  
Chris flinched at the mention of Kate.    
  
“I never knew the Hales, but what Kate did was wrong. Derek may look like a serial killer -- I love you, Derek -- but he’s a good person. Maybe werewolves in general are bad people, but I know my pack. I know Scott. When I look at Stiles, I can’t help but laugh. He’s got such a silly personality, and he’s so protective. Just because he’s a werewolf, that automatically makes him a bad person? No.   
  
“Dad, your problem is, you differentiate us as ‘werewolf’ and ‘human’ -- it’s not that simple. We’re people. There’s plenty of humans out there that are much more vicious than werewolves are. If I became a werewolf, would you and Mom kill me out of principle?”   
  
Chris stayed silent. Dean was watching the exchange with a vested interest. Derek had an eyebrow raised but remained silent.   
  
“Answer me! Would you?”   
  
“No.”   
  
“Why not?”   
  
“You’re my daughter. I raised you --”   
  
“Exactly. You know who I am. You know what kind of a person I am. Being a werewolf wouldn’t change who I am. I’m still Allison.”   
  
“What about those werewolves who took and tortured Stiles?” Chris argued.   
  
“They’re bad people. That’s it. Maybe them being werewolves had a part in making them who they are, but they’re not bad people _because_ they’re werewolves. They’re bad people because of what they do. Don’t forget about Peter -- he started killing people because of what Kate did to him. We did that to him. He wasn’t like that before the fire.   
  
“None of this is black-and-white. Good and evil. None of that exists in real life. You think you’re a good person right? Doing good deeds? Derek doesn’t think so. Derek looks at you like you’re a monster who kills families for fun. Do you _understand_ why? If you don’t, then you’ll never understand why I chose to be with this pack.”   
  
Chris’ teeth were grinding against each other. His fists were tightly wound.    
  
“Just be home by midnight,” Chris sputtered before he got in his SUV and left.   
  
“Wow, Allison. You’re awesome,” Scott murmured, drawing her in for a hug. Allison simply smiled.   
  
“Dang, I’ve only been here for a few hours and I’ve seen some interesting drama already,” Dean commented. “I like you, Allison. Hey Cas -- Cas?”   
  
Castiel was staring at Jackson. Jackson fidgeted uncomfortably.   
  
“Earth to Cas? You home?”   
  
“Yes, Dean.”   
  
“You okay?”   
  
“Yes, I’m fine,” Castiel said with a smile. Derek glared at Dean and Castiel before turning and walking toward the house. Scott and Allison followed and Dean and Castiel trotted along.    
  
“Hold on,” Jackson whispered, clutching on Danny’s arm.   
  
“What’s up?”   
  
“That guy, Castiel, whatever he is. He’s been staring at me ever since he got here. It’s creeping me out. Could you... talk to him? Find out why?”   
  
Danny rolled his eyes. “Can’t you do that?”   
  
“Yeah, but I get the feeling he won’t tell me the truth. Please, just try it. For me.” Danny sighed and nodded. They walked into the house.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Josh was sitting at a picnic table in the middle of the woods. Around him sat four other people.  
  
One was a powerfully built man, his body seemingly chiseled from marble. He kept his head shaven bald and it was difficult to tell whether he was extremely tan or at least one of his parents was part black. His eyes was brown and hard, full of distrust. He wore a white tank top and black pants. His bulging biceps were covered with tattoos.  
  
A skinny woman with blond hair cropped short just above her shoulders sat next to him. Her eyes were a soft blue and she had a ditzy look on her face. She wore a blue tank top, one that hugged her tightly, showing off her breasts. Her shorts were so short, they were practically underwear.  
  
Another woman sat next to her. This one had dark skin and very long wavy shiny black hair. She had high cheekbones and, by all definitions, was beautiful. She was also dangerous. She had a look in her hazel eyes that said, _Fuck with me and you die._ She wore a thin green jacket and blue jeans, her legs crossed underneath the table.  
  
In between the second woman and Josh was a man with unruly black hair and a sharp goatee. He had a playful grin on his face and his brown eyes showed absolutely nothing but entertainment. He wore a suit of dazzling purple, so sharp it seemed to be daring people to comment on it.  
  
“Nice suit,” the bald man snorted.   
  
“Why, thank you. Nice muscles,” he complimented. “Makes you look all manly and stuff.”  
  
The bald man growled. The blond woman giggled while the other woman rolled her eyes.   
  
“So,” Josh began. “This is the first Alpha Council of Beacon Hills.”  
  
“Should we really be calling ourselves that?” The dangerous woman asked. “We haven’t taken anything yet.”  
  
“I like it,” said the blond woman. “Puts us in the right place mentally. Beacon Hills is ours.”  
  
“Like I said,” Josh continued. “The first Alpha Council of Beacon Hills. I’m Joshua Miller.”  
  
The bald man grunted. “Boomer Sooner.”  
  
The man in the suit barked out a laugh. “Really? Seriously? Did your parents really name you that?”  
  
“No, they didn’t. I did. Keep pissing me off, and you’ll find out why.”  
  
“Boys,” the blond woman said with a smile. “Let’s behave here. My name is Melissa, but you can call me Melly. Melly Jones.”  
  
“Zoe Powell,” the other woman said.   
  
The man in the suit bowed his head slightly and said, “Name’s Johnny Smith.”  
  
Boomer laughed. “And you made fun of my name? At least mine’s unique. Yours’ just boring.”  
  
Johnny scowled and Boomer grinned.  
  
“Jesus,” Josh groaned. “We haven’t even been here for ten minutes and you guys are bickering already. If we can’t get along here, we might as well forget our plan entirely.”  
  
“He’s right,” agreed Zoe. “Get serious. We can’t fuck around, or we’ll all end up like the Alcotts.”  
  
“Oh dear, yes, the Alcotts," Johnny said. "Joshua, you’ve seen them, right? What happened?”  
  
“Simply put,” Josh explained. “They underestimated the hunters that live in the town, the Argents. They’re descended from the first werewolf hunter. They know their stuff. My pack has scoured the house and the surrounding area, and while we did smell human blood inside the house, there was traces of only one dead human. That means the hunters managed to wipe out a pack of seventeen while losing only one hunter.”  
  
“Just _one_? What the fuck,” cursed Boomer. “That’s impossible. No pack is that pathetic.”  
  
“I’m not finished,” Josh emphasized. “The hunters may not have been alone. From what we found, there seems to be a pack in town already. One of my Betas, Jen, did some research. Apparently, not all of the Hales died in the fire. Three survived. Peter, Laura and Derek. Peter was inside the house when it happened. He survived, but he was half burnt and ended up in a hospital for the next six years.  
  
“Laura and Derek was at a school dance. They moved away after the fire. However, Laura came back one day and was promptly killed. Derek came back shortly afterwards and killed Peter, who was the one who killed Laura.  
  
“That leaves just Derek. He’s very young -- 24 years old. He might have recruited some people, but they’re all very new werewolves. They most likely helped the Argents take down the Alcotts. Why? We don't know. They’re werewolves, so of course they’re a danger to our plans. That is, unless, we can convince them to join us.  
  
“Our real opponent are the hunters. They’re vicious. One of them, Kate Argent, was killed recently -- the same night Peter died, probably by Derek Hale as well. She was the one who burnt down the Hale house. The Argents have no conscience. They will do whatever it takes to put us down. We must take care of them immediately.”  
  
“Makes sense,” Johnny said. “How do we do it without revealing ourselves?”  
  
“I’m not sure it matters,” Josh said. “The Alcotts are all dead, but they didn’t all die in the house. The hunters dragged them inside then burnt the house. Since they did that, we have to assume they also searched the house. If the Alcotts left any evidence of our plans around, the Argents will know about it. We may have to go for a direct assault.”  
  
“No,” Boomer spoke. “No need. Several of my Betas are former military men -- they can put together bombs. We just slap them onto their cars and that should take care of them.”  
  
“That works for me,” Melly said. “Blow them up and talk to the Hale pack. If they refuse, kill them and move on.”  
  
Josh thought about it and agreed. They voted on the idea and it passed unanimously.   
  
“I’ll send them out to scout the house and see how many and which cars need to go boom," Boomer said. "Should take a few days to get everything done."   
  
“Excellent,” Melly said. “I’ll try and find out where the Hale pack is at and see how many of them there are, see what kind of people they are.”  
  
“I really hope this plan goes well,” Zoe said, grinning. “The idea of living in a town where we can truly be ourselves... Not have to hide who we are. I’ve wanted that so much. Don’t fuck this up for me, people.”


	3. The Learning

# Chapter Two

“Nice place,” Dean said, sarcastically. He plopped down on the couch next to Castiel and waved off a glare from Sam. Sam was sitting at the table with Stiles, discussing the events of his abduction. Derek glared at Dean for the hundredth time.

“You can stop that, dude,” Dean said. “I’ve fought and killed much scarier things than you. You’re just a cute little puppy to me.”

Derek’s eyes narrowed and flashed red. Dean chuckled and raised his hands, “Alright, I’m sorry. I’ll be nice now.”

“So, basically, they were just trying to get information on the pack from you?” Sam asked. 

“Yeah. That’s it. They didn’t really say much else around me.”

“Obviously, they see you guys as a threat, then. Not much else to go on, though.”

Derek pulled open the refrigerator door and grabbed a beer. “Want one, Sam?” Sam declined but Dean shot up his hand, volunteering. Derek glared again. 

“Hey, I promise I’ll be nice. Promise.”

Derek rolled his eyes and tossed him the beer. “Castiel?” 

“Yes, Derek?”

“Want a beer?”

“I don’t see a point. It would take too much for me to get drunk.”

“Cas, you’re practically human now. I think your tolerance’s gone down. Have one,” Dean suggested, handing his beer over to Cas and waving for another one. Derek tossed the can over.

“What about us?” Jackson asked. “I want a beer too!”

Derek shrugged. “Get it yourself.”

Jackson scowled. He went off and picked up a few cans for himself and Danny. 

“You guys are underage,” Sam pointed out. Jackson nodded slowly and added, “And your point is?”

“I guess I don’t really have one. Just thought it needed pointing out.”

Lydia fidgeted in the other couch and Allison became annoyed. “What, Lydia?”

Lydia was staring at Dean, however. “So, Dean. Just curious. You said you’ve faced much scarier things than Derek? Like what?”

Dean laughed. “Imagine it, and I bet you I’ve fought them.”

“Dragons!” Stiles said smugly. 

Dean looked over at him. “Yep. Killed one too.”

No change in Dean’s heartbeat. Stiles’ mouth dropped. “You’re not lying. Dragons exist? Really? Holy shit. What else exists? Vampires!”

Derek rolled his eyes. “No, vampires don’t --”

“Yeah, we’ve killed plenty of vampires. Hell, I was one once. No thanks to a certain brother,” Dean narrowed his eyes at Sam.

“How many times do I have to say I’m sorry? I didn’t have a soul then!”

“Bitch.”

“Jerk.”

Stiles beamed and fist pumped in victory. “I _told_ you, guys. Vampires are real. I knew it.”

“So,” Lydia fluttered her eyes at Dean. “What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever seen?”

Dean thought about it for a minute. “There has only been one time in my entire life where I was truly terrified. Nothing else I’ve ever seen has compared to this. Death.”

Silence.

“Death? What, like everyone died or something?” Scott asked.

“No, not people dying. Death. The horseman. The Grim Reaper. Whatever you want to call it. He was in Chicago, in a small diner. I needed to get a ring from him, so I had to go in. Everyone inside was dead. He was sitting at a table, eating some crap. I think it was pizza. He looked like a man in his fifties with slick black hair. But it wasn’t how he looked that terrified me. It was how he _felt_. If anything could give out a vibe that said ‘you all are insignificant insects,’ and actually _mean_ it, it’d be him. He could have killed me with his pinkie. Literally. Our meeting lasted what, maybe ten minutes, but it was the longest ten minutes of my life.”

Dean was looking at the floor now, his eyebrows nearly touching each other. Castiel wrapped his arm around Dean and rubbed his shoulder. Dean shook off the feeling and smiled at Castiel. 

“Sorry,” Danny spoke since everyone else was still staring at Dean silently, “but I don’t get it... why did you have to see Death?”

“To prevent the Apocalypse,” Dean laughed. “Why else?”

“The Apocalypse? As in, the end of the world?” Stiles whispered.

Dean just laughed. Castiel answered for him, “Yes. Dean and Sam stopped the Apocalypse, though. They were amazing. Very brave.”

Allison nudged Scott and gave him a quizzing look. Scott shrugged lamely and said, “They’re not lying.”

Derek was still standing in the kitchen, holding his beer. It was open but still full. 

_Just who are they? I can’t tell if they’ve figured out how to lie to werewolves or if they’re telling the truth. But what they say is just ludicrous. It can’t be true._

Dean sighed and leaned back against the couch. “Sometimes I really wish I had your lives. Being ignorant of everything. Staying out of everything. Not having to hunt monsters for my entire life. Being normal. I know by now that’s never going to happen.”

Sam’s brow furrowed and his mouth smiled sadly. “Dean, if you really want to, we can just... stop. Just stop hunting. Retire. We deserve that at least.”

“I would love that, Sam. But what the hell would we do? Where would we get the money? Work? I can’t just start doing a 9-5 job after everything I’ve gone through.”

“Yeah, you can. Remember that year you were with Lisa and Ben, after I jumped into Hell with Lucifer and Michael? You had a normal life.”

“Yeah, I did. It doesn’t matter, though. It doesn’t matter if we’re done with this life, because it’s not done with us. Otherwise, we would have stayed dead a long time ago, all three of us.”

Sam sighed in defeat. “Good point.”

“ _Stayed_ dead?” Jackson asked.

“Oh yeah, we’ve all died. Several times. Sam had to watch me die over a hundred times on a Tuesday once. Thankfully, I don’t remember any of it --”

“I do, though,” Sam grimaced. “Fucking Gabriel.”

“-- but I’ve had to see Sam die a few times. Cas too,” Dean looked at Castiel, then down at himself and swallowed. 

“I’m not really sure why we’re telling you all this, though,” Dean chuckled. “You guys know of any cheap motels around here?”

“No, you’re staying here,” Stiles demanded. 

“No, they’re not,” Derek started, but Stiles cut him off. “They’re staying. At least one night. Come on, Derek. Please?”

Derek attempted a staring contest but lost to Stiles’ puppy eyes. He groaned. “Fine. Don’t ask me where you’re sleeping, though. I don’t have any more room.”

“We’ll manage,” Sam said. “Plenty of experience with situations like this.”

“Thanks, Derek!” Stiles said gleefully, jumping up from the table and scrambling into the kitchen, planting a kiss on Derek’s lips. Derek smiled and hugged him.

“Wow, that’s first time I’ve seen you smile,” Dean commented. The smile immediately disappeared and Derek growled. “Come on,” Dean complained. “I’m paying you a compliment. You guys are cute, so just keep smiling. Don’t be such a grouchy wolf.”

Stiles erupted in giggles and Derek growled even louder. 

“He doesn’t like it when I call him that,” Stiles said in between his giggle attacks. “I wouldn’t recommend saying that again.” He grabbed Derek’s face with his hands and forced it down to his face and kissed him. Derek closed his eyes and visibly relaxed.

“Fair enough,” Dean agreed. He patted Castiel’s leg and squeezed and then said, “I’m going to go outside for some fresh air.” He got up and walked out the front door and sat down on the porch steps.

Sam smiled awkwardly as the pack looked alternatively at him and Castiel. 

“Do you have any board games?” Castiel asked.

\-----------------------------------

  
The next morning, Dean was up early. He was once again sitting on the porch steps, looking at the woods, lost into his thoughts.   
  
The front door opened behind him and Dean turned. It was Jackson.   
  
“Hey,” Jackson said. “Can I sit down?”   
  
Dean shrugged. “I don’t live here. I can’t tell you no.”   
  
Jackson nodded and sat near Dean. Dean could tell that the boy wanted to talk, but he wasn’t saying anything.   
  
“You want something?”   
  
“Uhh,” Jackson stammered. “I was just... Umm. You said you’ve died a lot of times?”   
  
Dean nodded.    
  
“So... where did you go? Did you go anywhere?”   
  
“Ahh, I should have expected that question,” Dean said. “Well --” A door opening interrupted Dean. It was Allison.    
  
“Hey guys,” she said, stretching.    
  
“Morning,” Dean and Jackson said in unison. Allison chuckled and leaned against the side of the house and crossed her arms. “The air feels nice.”   
  
“Yeah, it does,” Jackson said. “Anyway, what were you saying?”   
  
“Well, Jacks,” Dean started. “I’m pretty sure I’m the only human in the history of humanity to have been to Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. And I’m still alive, to boot.” Pause.   
  
“There’s no way you’re ending at that,” Jackson demanded. “Hell? You were in Hell? What was that like?”   
  
“It was like Hell,” Dean deadpanned. Jackson’s face dropped. “I wish I could say I was kidding, but I’m not. The first thing you need to understand is that time runs very differently in Hell -- and in Purgatory -- than it does here. When I died and went to Hell, I was dead for four months before Cas dragged me out. But down there? I was stuck down there for 40 years.    
  
“I’m not proud of this. For the first thirty years, I was tortured every day. They cut into me, stripped out pieces of my flesh, then restored me, only to start over. Then, one day... I broke. I made a deal with a demon. They let me go. They stopped torturing me. Instead, I had to torture other souls. And I did that for the next ten years.”   
  
Behind Dean, Allison’s hand was covering her mouth in horror.    
  
“I remember cutting open a young boy. He was maybe, twelve years old. I don’t know how a young boy like that finds his way to Hell, but he did. I looked at him. I heard him beg for me to stop. He cried, screamed for his mother. Do you know what the first thing I did to him was? I cut off his tongue. Just so I wouldn’t have to hear him beg.”   
  
Jackson gulped. Eager to move on from the subject, he asked, “What about Heaven?”   
  
The hardness in Dean’s face disappeared almost instantly and a warm smile took its place.    
  
“Heaven was pretty awesome. Everyone’s heaven is different, designed for each person. Some people are lucky and they share their heaven with a soul mate. For me, my heaven was with Sam. Our heaven is full of our favorite memories and it’s the happiest I’ve ever felt. Heaven is amazing.”   
  
Jackson smiled. Allison’s eyes was filling up with water and she blinked them away, wiping the tears that had fallen.    
  
“You should forget about Heaven and Hell, though, Jacks. You’re not going to go to either place when you die.”   
  
“What? Why not?”   
  
“Werewolves don’t go to Heaven or Hell when they die. They go to Purgatory. Every supernatural creature does. I’ve killed so many of them, and when Cas and I got stuck in Purgatory for two hundred fucking years, every single one of them was there... including my mother. She was a ghost. I always thought she went to Heaven after she saved me and Sam a while back, but she didn’t. She went to Purgatory.    
  
“Hell was well, hell. The most exhausting ordeal I’ve ever gone through, however, was the time we spent in Purgatory. Like I said, every monster we’ve ever killed was there. They wanted revenge. Cas and I had to run and run and run. For 200 years. Can you imagine running for that long? And some of those monsters are older than even the Angels -- the Leviathans. They’re ridiculously strong. They can kill Angels with ease. They got out of Purgatory once and we killed their boss, Dick. That was when Cas and I landed in Purgatory. Side effect, apparently.   
  
“Dick was not happy. He made sure we could never rest. He kept sending monsters after us. We did have some friends that were helping us -- other Angels that died, or ghosts that we helped in the past, like my mother, among others. They would sacrifice themselves, stall them while we ran. They’d get torn apart. But they were already in Purgatory, so they’d just eventually re-assemble, and do it all over again. Cas and I were technically still alive, so if they had gotten to us... I have no idea what would have happened to us. But that never happened.”   
  
Dean stopped talking and silence fell upon them. Jackson could smell every emotion that soared out of Dean. Pain. Regret. Anger. Frustration. You name it, Dean felt it, Jackson smelt it. The overwhelming assault of emotions brought Jackson to tears. He didn’t just smell Dean’s emotions... he _felt_ them as well.   
  
Allison had taken in every word Dean just spoke to heart. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to shake off the feeling of dread that was overcoming her, but she couldn’t. She exhaled and announced she was going to go for a walk and disappeared into the trees.   
  
“I’m sorry you went through all that,” Jackson said. “I can’t even imagine what kind of life you’ve had.”   
  
Dean shrugged. “Apparently, someone has to live this life. I never believed in God until I met Cas. If an Angel was real, then God has to be too, but he’s been missing. Even the Angels don’t know where he is. But we know he’s alive, because he keeps bringing Cas back from the dead. He keeps bringing us back from the dead. I don’t know why. I wish I knew why, because it pisses me off. I’ve seen so many of my friends die. I couldn’t save any of them. I couldn’t even save my brother.”   
  
“But,” Jackson pointed out, “he’s alive. Your brother is alive.”   
  
“Yeah,” Dean said, a tear falling. “He is, now. When he died, though, I didn’t know he would come back. I thought I lost him too, like everyone else. Quite literally, everyone I’ve ever loved or counted on as a friend is dead. And I’ve watched Sam and Cas die far too many times. Cas was right, this resurrection bullshit isn’t a reward. It’s a punishment. It’s just another form of torture, knowing that I could die right now and I’d be brought back to life, like it’s nothing. But if anyone else dies, they stay dead. And I can’t do a single fucking thing to change that.”   
  
“I...” Jackson tried to say something, to comfort Dean. But what? What do you say to that?   
  
Dean looked at Jackson. “Hey, why are you crying?”   
  
“I’m sorry,” Jackson stammered, wiping his tears away. “I didn’t mean to... I just can smell your emotions. Perks of being a werewolf, I guess.”   
  
“Oh,” Dean simply said. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be springing this on you. Just enjoy life while you still can, Jacks.” Dean reached out and ruffled Jackson’s hair. Jackson tried his best at a smile, but he had a feeling it was an ugly one. Dean returned the smile then looked back out at the woods, silent. Jackson’s eyes dropped and he stared at the ground just ahead of the steps, digesting Dean’s words.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles sat nervously in a big room. Derek was standing next to him, his hand lightly massaging Stiles’ shoulder, reassuring him. His father stood a few feet away.   
  
“Guys, guys, shut up. This is important,” the Sheriff spoke. “This is serious.”   
  
The officers of Beacon Hills quieted down. Chris Argent was standing in the back of the room, waiting for the Sheriff.   
  
“Okay, guys. First things first, all of your guns are outside this room, correct? None of you are armed?”   
  
They all nodded.   
  
“Why did we have to do that?” Someone asked. “What’s going on?”   
  
“I’m about to explain that. Okay. Beacon Hills is under a very serious threat.” The words caught the officers’ attention. “This is going to sound insane, but I’m not lying. There are several groups of people who are coming here, if they’re not already here. They plan to take over this town. They plan to make this town theirs.”   
  
“You’re kidding me, right?” Another officer spoke. “You’re saying people are going to try to take over a _town_? Who in their right minds would even attempt that?”   
  
“Werewolves,” Chris said.    
  
“What? I’m pretty sure I misheard you, say that again.”   
  
“Werewolves.”   
  
“Sheriff, why is he here again?”   
  
“Because he’s telling the truth.”   
  
Chris pulled out the documents they had found at the Alcott house and passed them out. “We found these papers at one of their places. Information on this town. Information on you guys, the officers. Your addresses. Your families. You’re their first targets.”   
  
Some of the officers looked at the papers, but most of them just rolled their eyes and scoffed.   
  
“Sheriff, why are you falling for this lunatic’s bullshit?”   
  
“Because I know it to be 100% true.”   
  
“And how might you know that,” someone asked sarcastically.   
  
“Because my son is a werewolf.”   
  
Stiles smiled sheepishly. Awkwardly, he waved to the officers.    
  
“And that’s why he and Derek Hale are here. Because they’re my proof.”   
  
“Derek Hale is the Alpha of the pack that lives here in Beacon Hills,” Chris explained. “Stiles is one of his Betas --”   
  
“Actually, I’m an Alpha too.”   
  
“What? No, that’s impossible. There can’t be two Alphas --”   
  
_Click._ The pieces connected. _He was bitten by that Alpha, and they’re all dead..._   
  
“Oh. But, how do you guys co-exist?”   
  
Derek shrugged. “Haven’t had a problem. Don’t ask me why, I don’t get it either.”   
  
“Ooookay,” one of the officers said. “I’m outta this insane festival you guys are having.” He got up and made a beeline for the door. Chris stepped into his way and said, “You sure you want to leave? I mean, we did say we have proof. You’re seriously going to walk away from proof of werewolves?”   
  
The officer thought about it. “Alright, let’s see this proof.”   
  
The Sheriff sighed. “Guys. Remain calm, okay? Just stay calm. I promise you, everything is fine. Stiles?”   
  
Derek picked up the towel that was hanging over the chair Stiles was sitting on. Stiles got up and took off his clothes, leaving his boxer. “Sorry, guys, I have to take them off or I’ll destroy them.” He was wearing an old pair of boxers for this specific purpose.   
  
“Okay, here I go. Make sure you guys all have a good view.”   
  
He transformed, leaving his boxers in pieces. The officers gasped and some drew back in horror. The man who had been arguing gaped at Stiles, his mouth wide open.    
  
After Stiles had fully transformed into his wolf form, he jumped onto a table and growled playfully, eyes glowing purple. A few of the officers screamed.    
  
“Calm down!” His father shouted. “Calm down! I told you, everything is fine. This is still my son. He’s not a wolf completely. He’s still the same person and he’s in control.”   
  
Derek walked over to Stiles and raked his fingers through the fur on top of his head. Stiles lightly growled, licked Derek, then rubbed his head against Derek’s.    
  
“See. No harm, no foul. Perfectly safe. At least this one is,” Derek laughed. “Come on, turn back.”    
  
Derek draped the towel over Stiles’ buttock area and held it in place until Stiles was fully human. Stiles tucked in the towel and turned to the officers, beaming.   
  
“So hey, you’ve just met your first werewolf. Impressed?”   
  
One of them stepped forward. “I have been waiting my entire life for this moment. My name is Mathieu Rodriguez. You can call me Matt.” He extended his hand and shook Stiles and Derek’s hands.   
  
That broke the ice. The rest of them came forward, asking them questions and prodding them, asking how it happened, what it felt like, whether it hurt when he did that, and a plethora of other questions. Eventually, the Sheriff ordered them all to take their seats so they could discuss what was coming.   
  
“I hope you guys realize what’s happening here. This is serious. Chris Argent is a hunter, he’s got experience with this. He’ll explain everything else we’ll need to know about werewolves. Chris?”   
  
Chris made his way to the front of room as Derek and Stiles slipped out of the room.    
  
“That wasn’t too bad, was it?”   
  
“No, it wasn’t,” Derek replied. “Thankfully. I think the only reason they took this so well is because of you.”   
  
“What do you mean?”   
  
“You’re the boss’ son. They know you, or at least, they know of you. It’s easier to believe and trust when it’s familiar.”    
  
“Yay, lucky me?”    
  
Derek chuckled and bumped into Stiles, sending him crashing against the wall. “Oops.”   
  
Stiles grinned and jumped on Derek’s back and wrapped his arms around Derek’s neck and his legs around Derek’s waist.    
  
“Onward, sourwolf!”   
  
Derek growled.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Man, I’m tired of cooking,” Stiles complained. “Can’t we just order pizza this time?”  
  
“Seconded,” Scott supported.   
  
“As long as we order a Hawaiian pizza this time,” Lydia said.  
  
Stiles picked up the phone and dialed the local pizza number. “Yeah, hello. One Hawaiian pizza, one Pepperoni, and one... hold on,” Stiles covered the phone with his mouth and asked, “What else?”  
  
“Sausage!”  
  
“Chicken!”  
  
“Anchovies!”  
  
“What the hell? No. No anchovies, no way.”  
  
“I’m just joking. Sausage is fine.”  
  
“Mushrooms!”  
  
Stiles groaned. “Make up your damn minds!”  
  
They bickered but eventually decided on a chicken, sausage, and mushrooms.  
  
“...and the third one will be chicken, sausage, and mushrooms. Yes, the Hale house. Oh come on, you guys have delivered here before. We don’t bite. Thank you. 20 minutes? Excellent.”  
  
Stiles plopped down on the couch between Scott and Danny, who was sitting next to Jackson. Derek was upstairs in his bedroom, doing who knows what. Lydia and Allison were sitting together, looking through a magazine and pointing things out, probably some hot new clothes. Stiles couldn’t help but find all this weird.  
  
“Does anyone else find this weird?”  
  
“Find what weird?” Danny asked.  
  
“This. We’re just like... sitting around. Hanging out. Like normal.”  
  
Jackson nodded. “What are we supposed to be doing instead?”  
  
“I don’t know. Prepare? For the whole invasion of the werewolves thing? I don’t know. _Something_.”  
  
Derek somehow materialized behind the couch. Stiles never heard him coming down the stairs, which is pretty impressive considering how much the stairs creaks.  
  
“You may be right, Stiles. Tomorrow, we’re all going to start training. We need to make sure we know what we’re doing when the time comes.”  
  
Groans erupted from nearly everyone, but Derek’s growl shut them all up.  
  
“ _No_ complaints. You all know what they did to Stiles. They’ll be experienced. Strong. Fast. Smart. Danny, you haven’t even had your first full moon. Allison, you’re a human going up against... I don’t even know how many werewolves. Jackson, Scott, and Lydia, you’re the only people in this pack, other than myself, who’s been in a fight. One that was in our favor. Stiles, you haven’t been in a fight either. We’re going to train.”  
  
“I’ll come up with some training ideas,” Stiles offered. “Lydia’ll help.”  
  
“Why me?”  
  
“Because you’re the smartest in this pack,” Stiles said with a sly smile. Lydia glared at Stiles and huffed an agreement, “Fine.”  
  
Stiles grinned and jumped off the couch to grab a piece of paper and a pen. “Come on, Lydia, get your cute ass over here.” Lydia’s mouth remained tight but her face relaxed at the compliment. She got up and joined Stiles at the table.  
  
“Okay, I have an idea,” Stiles started. “We should have Scott play a deer. He has to run while everyone chases him. Whoever catches him wins!”  
  
“Hey!” Scott protested. “Why am I the deer?”  
  
Stiles grinned. “Because you’re my best friend. Why else? Don’t worry, we’ll rotate. The rotation will probably look like this: Scott, Jackson, Scott, Danny, Scott, Scott, Lydia, Scott, Derek, Scott, and then Scott. Wait, I forgot, Scott.”  
  
Scott growled his disapproval. “You’re an ass.”  
  
“I love you too!”  
  
Allison had taken the seat Stiles was sitting at and she leaned on Scott, grinning her trademark smile. “Don’t worry, none of them will catch you.” Scott smiled smugly, but then Jackson said, “Oh please. I’ll kick his ass every time.”  
  
Derek groaned in exasperation. “You guys are idiots.”  
  
An engine approached the house. Danny said, “Hey! I hear the pizza!”  
  
“Huh, it’s a little early for the pizza,” Stiles observed. Then a smell waved across his nose and the intense presence of an Alpha hit Stiles and Derek at the same time. Both of them growled and flashed their werewolf eyes.   
  
“What’s it? What’s wrong?” Allison asked. The others scrambled off the couch, looking wildly at Stiles and Derek.  
  
“An Alpha. Stay inside,” Derek ordered as he walked to the front door. Stiles walked up behind him, but Derek placed a hand in front of him. “You too.”  
  
“No way,” Stiles protested. “If they’re from the same group as the Alcotts, I want to see them.”  
  
Derek reluctantly dropped his hand. “Let me do all the talking.” He opened the door and stepped outside, closely followed by Stiles. The rest of the pack crowded the door, straining to burst through it.  
  
A white car stopped just in front of Derek and Stiles. All four doors opened and a werewolf stepped out of each one. The men just stood by the doors, but the lone female -- the Alpha -- walked around the car and stopped just a few feet away from Derek. She had blond hair down to just above her shoulders and she wore tight clothes.   
  
She smiled. “Well, well. Two Alphas. That certainly is interesting. I was going to say you’re a little young for an Alpha, Derek Hale, but _you_ She leered at Stiles, “ _You_ ’re a little young for an Alpha.”  
  
“You know who I am. Who are you?”  
  
“You can call me Melly. Now, I’m wondering,” she said as she walked a slow circle around Derek and Stiles. “Do you know why I’m here?”  
  
“You’re trying to take over the town?” Stiles blurted out.  
  
“Ahh yes... so, you do know. Good. We can skip that part of the conversation, then.” She cast her gaze at the house. “How many are in there?”  
  
“Why do you want to know?” Derek asked.  
  
“The truth? It doesn’t matter. If we decide to, we’ll just wipe you all away. I’m just merely curious.”  
  
The door opened and Jackson stormed out. Danny tried feebly to stop him but only ended up being dragged out by Jackson. The rest of the pack filled out.  
  
Melly’s eyes targeted Allison. “So, it is true. You do have an Argent in your pack, although she seems to be human still. I’m not really sure I see the logic in having the niece of the woman who killed your entire family in your pack, but whatever floats your boat,” Melly sniggered.   
  
A growl clawed its way out of Derek’s throat, catching Melly’s attention.  
  
“Oh, relax. I’m not here to kill any of you. I’m here to make you an offer.” Melly walked up closer to Derek, her lips just inches away from Derek’s.  
  
“Back the fuck off,” Stiles growled. Melly actually looked surprised. “You two are together? That’s cute. I have to ask, how did you become an Alpha so young? What happened to your pack?”  
  
“ _This_ is my pack,” Stiles growled.   
  
“Maybe so, but you obviously weren’t turned by Derek here, otherwise you wouldn’t be an Alpha.”  
  
“If you really need to know, it was your ugly buddy, Joseph Alcott.”  
  
“Oh? What did he do?”   
  
Stiles smelt curiosity wafting from her. She really didn’t know what the Alcotts did.  
  
“I was a human. He kidnapped me, tortured me, and bit me. I’m sure you know what happened to them afterwards.”  
  
“So, if he hadn’t taken you, you guys would have never known the Alcotts were here?”  
  
Derek’s glare gave Melly her answer. She laughed.   
  
“Thought so. He really was an idiot. Rest assured, none of us are as stupid as him. What a terrible excuse of an Alpha. So, here’s the offer. There’s six seats on the Alpha Council of Beacon Hills. Since you guys did us a favor and got rid of Alcott, there’s one available. We’d like for you to sit on it, Derek Hale. I suppose we might make room a seventh seat for your boyfriend there.”  
  
Derek snorted. “You want me to help the very same people who tried to take my mate from me?”  
  
“Mate? Yes, I thought so. Well. I hoped you would, but after hearing his story, I suspected you might not. I do hope you’ll reconsider, because really. A pack of... what? Seven? Even with two Alphas, you have no chance. There’s five of us Alphas and we each have a pack just as big as the Alcotts. You two make an adorable couple, I really don’t want to kill either one of you. I’ll come back tomorrow, let you guys have some time to think about it.”  
  
She bent over and kissed Stiles on the cheek. Derek’s body vibrated with anger and his eyes burned crimson. Melly smiled and her eyes were a shade of pink so hot, the singer would have been extremely jealous.   
  
“Anger management, honey. I’d recommend it. Keeping all that inside can’t be healthy. Think about it.” She winked and strutted to the car. The engine roared to life and they departed, passing the pizza man. Lydia scrambled down the stairs to rescue the pizza man from Derek’s wrath. They paid for the pizza and the man left in record time.  
  
Derek’s anger was uncontrollable. “ _Five_ fucking Alphas. Fuck. _Fuck_ ,” he raged. Stiles grabbed Derek’s hand and pulled at it, forcing his attention onto him.   
  
“Derek, this is good. We knew this was going to happen. We knew they were coming. Now, we know. They’re here. And they gave us some information, whether they meant to or not. We know what we’re up against now. We’re in better shape than we were ten minutes ago. That shouldn’t make you angry, that should make you happy.”  
  
“Happy?!” Derek roared. “How the fuck is that supposed to make me happy? We’re --”  
  
“Shut up, Derek.”  
  
Derek recoiled as if Stiles had physically slapped him. His mouth dropped and there was pain and fear in his eyes.  
  
“Derek. Listen to me. We know what one of them looks like. We know how many packs there are. We know how many Alphas there are. We didn’t know any of that. That woman just improved our chances of winning this fight. We can’t win if we go in blind, and we’re not blind anymore. We’re going to go tell Chris and Dad, and we’re going to discuss this, and we’re going to figure out how we’re winning this.”  
  
Stiles felt Derek’s rage subside. He smiled and wrapped Derek’s arms around himself.   
  
“She did us a favor. We’re going to be fine.”  
  
Derek’s grip had been loose, but it tightened up, squeezing Stiles. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on top of Stiles’ head.   
  
“You’re right, Stiles. Thank you.”


	4. It Begins

# Chapter Three

Melly Jones’ car came to a stop and she got out. She walked seductively to the table where the other four Alphas were waiting.

“Well,” she said. “That was an interesting conversation.”

She took her seat and looked at the other Alphas. They all were looking at her, waiting for her to explain.

“There’s seven of them. One human, the daughter of the Argents. Four betas,” she paused. “And two Alphas.”

That got their attention.

“ _What?_ ” Boomer boomed.

“What?” Josh echoed. “Two Alphas? That might explain what happened to the Alcotts.”

“Actually, it doesn’t,” Melly laughed. “Alcott really was an idiot.”

“Not that’s anything new,” Johnny said. “But why?”

“The second Alpha is really young. The Sheriff’s son. The Alcotts kidnapped him and tortured him. He was still a human then. That’s how the Hales and the Argents found out about them. They weren’t even there to wipe the Alcotts out, they were there to rescue the boy. Thing is, Alcott bit him before he died. And they’re all dead, except for him, so now he’s the Alpha.”

Josh groaned. Zoe rolled her eyes and scoffed. 

“The boy is rather interesting, actually. When I got there, both he and Derek Hale came out of the house, if you could call that a house, and confronted me. I smelt nothing but anger and a tinge of fear from Hale, but the boy? No fear. When I kissed him, I took in a deep sniff. Not a single shred of fear. Just anger. I like the boy.”

“What about our offer? What did they say?” Zoe asked.

“I made Hale the offer. I even told them we might make room at the table for the boy, who’s Hale’s mate by the way, but he turned us down. After hearing about what the Alcotts did to his mate, I didn’t blame him,” Melly shrugged. “I figured they should have at least a day to think it over, though, so I told them I’d be back tomorrow for their final answer.”

“We’re giving them an opportunity to prepare against us?” Boomer demanded. “That’s ridiculous. We should just kill them all now.”

“Relax, big boy,” Melly chuckled. “You didn’t see them. They’re a sad excuse of a pack. Other than Hale, I don’t think any of them are even over 18. They’re not a threat. Besides, after what Alcott did to Hale’s mate? The least we can do is give them a day.”

“ _Alcott_ did that to them,” pointed out Zoe. “Not us.”

“No,” agreed Josh. “However, Alcott is associated with us. To them, Alcott _is_ us. Melly’s right, a day won’t hurt. When you go back, Melly, bring your pack with you. All of them. If they accept our offer, then escort them here. If they reject, kill them.”

“Oooh, can I do that?” Johnny volunteered. “I’d like to meet them. And my men have been craving action.”

Melly shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

“Shouldn’t one of us go with Johnny?” Zoe asked. “They do have two Alphas after all.”

Johnny scoffed. “Please, little lady. One of them has been an Alpha for all of, what? Two weeks? And the other isn’t that much older. I’ve been Alpha for years. And we outnumber them more than two-to-one. I think we can handle them.”

“Anyone opposed to Johnny taking that task?” Josh polled.

No one objected.

“Okay, then. Boomer, what’s the update on your end?”

“My men have checked out the Argents’ place. We’ve followed the cars that came and went. There seems to be three SUVs, including Chris Argent’s, that belong to the hunters. There’s about ten of them. The bombs should be ready by tonight, so we’ll plant them tomorrow. Four bombs in total. Three for the SUV, and the fourth one...”

“Yes?” Melly quizzed.

“It’s for an ‘67 Impala that just rolled into town.”

“No fucking way,” groaned Zoe. “They’re here?”

“Who?” The other three Alphas asked.

“The Winchesters.”

“The Winchesters?” Johnny repeated. “I thought they were an urban legend.”

“Definitely not,” Zoe laughed. “Never went up against them myself, but I know plenty of people who died doing so. They say the Winchesters don’t die. If they do, they come back.”

Johnny rolled his eyes and waved his hands around. “Oh yes, of course. Immortal hunters. That makes perfect sense.”

“Either way,” growled Boomer, glaring at Johnny. “They’re even more dangerous than the Argents. They don’t hunt just werewolves, they hunt _everything_. They have for years. They’re not dead, so they’re fucking good. Watch yourselves around them.”

“Okay, make sure the bomb for the Winchesters goes off first. We don’t want them to get a warning something’s off,” Josh suggested. The Council agreed.

Josh, Melly, and Zoe left with their packs, retreating to their own makeshift dens deep in the woods. Boomer turned to his men to finalize their plans for the next day. Johnny shooed his pack away, “I’ll meet you guys back home. I’ve got some Alpha business with Boomer.”

After Boomer was done with his Betas, he looked at Johnny, who was sitting on the table with his legs crossed, grinning like an idiot. 

“So, Boomer, after we’re done with all this, what are you going to do?”

“All this?”

“Yeah. All this invasion business. Killing, blowing things up -- oh hey, I just realized why your name’s Boomer. You like explosions, don’t you?”

Boomer growled and stepped closer to Johnny. “What do you want?”

“What? Can’t I make small talk? We’re going to be buddies, after all.”

“We are _not_ going to be ‘buddies,’” Boomer growled.

“Sure we are. I can smell it on you. I don’t know why werewolves insist on lying to each other, it’s so completely pointless,” Johnny said, rolling his eyes.

Boomer grabbed Johnny’s neck and pulled him dangerously close to his fangs.

“Kinky. I like,” Johnny approved, grinning and raising an eyebrow. His eyes glowed bright green, challenging Boomer. 

“Even now, I can smell it. Your arou--”

“Don’t. Say it,” growled Boomer, his red eyes drilling holes into Johnny’s skull. 

“Fine. All business. Fair enough. But after all this business is done... we’re going to finish this.” Johnny winked and slipped out of Boomer’s grip, vanishing into the night.

Boomer closed his eyes and clenched his fist. A woman who resembled Boomer walked up to him and hugged him from behind.

“He’s kind of cute,” she said. “You really should loosen up. Have some fun, big brother, if you know what I mean.”

“Shut up, little sister.”

“Never,” the woman laughed. “I mean it. You deserve it. After everything... I just want to see you happy.”

He turned around to face her. “This will make me happy. This town. Peace. Freedom. I can’t concern myself with my own happiness if my pack isn’t happy. My pack comes first.”

She sighed. “I know. But after this? Please. For me, if you won’t do it for yourself.”

Boomer smiled. “Maybe. Just for you, little sister.”

\-----------------------------------

  
The Impala soared down the road and turned into the dirt road that led to the Hale house. The Winchesters and Castiel’s stomachs were full with their dinners. Dean was driving, silently singing along to the radio. Sam was been sitting quietly in the passenger seat, replaying Dean’s words in his head.   
  
_Mom’s in Purgatory._   
  
“Hey Dean. Can I ask you a question?”   
  
“What’s up?”   
  
“You tend to keep everything inside you, closed up. You don’t share information, not even to me. I have to piss you off to get you to say something sometimes.”   
  
“What are you talking about? I don’t like talking about my feelings, you know that.”   
  
“Yeah, I do. So why are you spilling everything to those kids?”   
  
“I’m not.”   
  
“Yeah, Dean, you are. I overheard what you told the Jackson kid yesterday morning. About everything. Why didn’t you tell me about Mom?”   
  
Castiel looked at the reflection of Dean’s eyes off the rear-view mirror. Dean met his gaze momentarily then focused on the road again.    
  
“Didn’t think you needed to know.”   
  
“ _I_ didn’t need to know? What the fuck? That’s my mother! And you told some random kid you just met. Why not me? I’m your _brother_!”   
  
“And if I told you, then what? Does it change anything? No, it’d just cause you more pain. We can’t do anything for her. She didn’t want you to know. She wanted you to think she was okay. That she was happy in Heaven.”   
  
“Bullshit! You don’t get to decide that. That’s not fair. I deserve to know too,” Sam put on his best bitch face.    
  
“Maybe you did. Doesn’t matter, I made the decision. I’m not going to apologize for it.”   
  
“Sam,” Castiel joined in. “He was just trying to protect you.”   
  
“Protect me? From what?”   
  
“From pain. You are hurting, are you not?”   
  
Sam stammered, “I -- Of course I am, it’s my _mother_ , but --”   
  
“That’s what Dean was trying to prevent. Don’t you see that?”   
  
Sam opened his mouth, then closed it. Another thought that reached the tip of his tongue, but did not come out. He turned away from Dean and Castiel, looking out the window at the trees passing by, his brow furrowed. Dean’s grip on the steering wheel tightened and his eyes narrowed.    
  
They pulled into the “driveway” of the Hale house and parked.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The pack was already outside. All of the boys were shirtless. Danny and Jackson were sparring and Derek and Stiles were in their Alpha forms, slashing at each other. Scott was standing to the side, cheering Danny and Stiles on. Allison and Lydia were nowhere to be seen.    
  
“What’s going on here?” Dean asked.   
  
“Training,” Derek replied after he resumed his human form and picked up a towel that was lying around and wrapped it around his waist. “Good job, Danny. Switch with Scott.”   
  
Danny stopped sparring and grabbed a bottle of water, heaving. Jackson raised an arm in victory and Danny protested, “You didn’t win! Nobody won!”   
  
Scott shifted and went after Jackson, hoping to blindside him. Jackson simply swung around and met him head on. Dean and Sam watched in amusement.    
  
Stiles was still in his wolf form and he walked around sniffing at Dean and Sam. Derek sniffed the air too and said, “Something smells weird.”   
  
“Like what?” Sam asked.   
  
“I’m not sure.”   
  
Danny walked up to Castiel and asked, “Hey, could we talk? Privately?”   
  
Castiel gave him a quizzing look, his head tilted. He agreed, however, and Danny led him into the woods, out of earshot.   
  
“I’ve just got a question, Castiel. Jackson’s been feeling a little uncomfortable with you staring at him all the time... can I ask why you do that?”   
  
Castiel smiled. “I apologize. He looks like Dean. A younger Dean. A Dean that wasn’t,” Castiel paused, thinking. “A Dean that hasn’t suffered.”   
  
“Oh,” Danny replied. After a few seconds, he added, “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”   
  
“I’m an Angel, we love humans. All of them.”   
  
“No, I didn’t say love, I said you’re _in_ love with him. Gaydar, you know?”   
  
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand that reference.”   
  
Danny chuckled. “It’s not an actual thing. It’s just something people tend to have, especially gay people, where they can look at another person and tell based on their actions or whatever that they’re gay, or at least, bisexual.”   
  
“I see,” Castiel said, even though he didn’t.   
  
“You’re not related to Dean, right? I can see how he looks at you. How you look at him. He looks at Sam the in a similar way, but he’s his brother. You’re different. You guys are in love, aren’t you?”   
  
“I -- I don’t know,” Castiel muttered.   
  
“Castiel, I --” Danny stopped talking once he heard shouts coming from the house.   
  
“What is it?”   
  
“I don’t know. They’re shouting about something, I can’t figure it out. Something’s wrong. Come on, let’s go back.”   
  
They went only a few yards before an explosion rocked in the woods on the other side of the house.   
  
“What the hell,” Danny uttered before he and Castiel took off running toward the house.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Dean and Sam watched Castiel walk off with Danny, their eyebrows raised.    
  
“What’s up with that?” Dean asked. Sam shrugged.   
  
Stiles was still sniffing around them. Dean said, “What’s he doing?”   
  
“Sniffing. Like I said, something smells weird here.”   
  
Stiles made his way over to the car, sniffing. Stiles’ snout went under the car then he drew back and growled. He shifted back to his human form. Derek threw the other towel over to him.   
  
“There’s something under the car. Guys! Come over here, help me lift the car up.”   
  
“Whoa whoa wait, what are you doing to Baby?”   
  
“There’s something under here and it doesn’t smell right. It smells _wrong_.”   
  
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with my car! I take care of it every day, it’s perfect.”   
  
Stiles ignored Dean. Jackson and Scott grabbed one side of the car and lifted it up, exposing the undercarriage.   
  
“Be careful! Damn it, if any of you scratch my Baby, I’m going to kill you.”   
  
“Shut up, Dean,” Derek commanded. He and Stiles walked closer to the car, looking for something.    
  
“There. That’s it. It looks like... Oh fuck. It’s a bomb.”   
  
“A what? What did you say?”   
  
Sam walked to where Derek and Stiles were kneeling and looked. The timer was just under a minute.   
  
“Oh fuck, it _is_ a bomb," Sam confirmed. "Less than a minute to go.”   
  
“Someone put a _bomb_ on my Baby?”   
  
Sam reached for it and Stiles grabbed his arm. “What are you doing?”   
  
“Don’t worry, it’s being held up by duct tape. It’s not attached to the car. Trust me,” he said. He removed the duct tape carefully, double-checked to make sure it wasn’t attached to the car in any other way, then took off the bomb. Derek grabbed it and launched it into the woods, away from where Danny and Castiel had gone to.   
  
“Those fucking shitheads tried to blow up my _Baby_?!” Dean’s voice rose. “I’m going to fucking kill them. All of them. They’re dead.”   
  
“I think they were trying to blow _us_ up, Dean,” Sam said.    
  
The bomb exploded, the flames licking at the top of the trees. Everyone winced, covering their eyes. Danny and Castiel ran into the clearing and asked, “What the hell happened?”   
  
“Looks like they’re targeting the hunters,” Sam said.   
  
The pack froze.    
  
“Call them, _now_ ,” Derek demanded. Scott and Jackson ran to the porch and grabbed their cell phones, dialing Allison and Lydia’s numbers.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Why exactly did you want me to come along?”   
  
Chris Argent smiled. “The officers need target practice. We’re teaching them how to fight werewolves, after all.”   
  
“Shouldn’t they already know how to shoot? I mean, they’re cops, aren’t they?”   
  
“Yes, Lydia, but they’ve never shot at a werewolf.”   
  
Allison was sitting behind Chris, on the driver’s side. Lydia was sitting on the other side, behind Victoria. Their SUV was trailing two others, both of them filled with the Argents’ fellow hunters.    
  
Allison shrugged. Lydia glared at her.    
  
“So, you want the cops to shoot me, basically.”   
  
“Don’t worry,” Victoria said. “They’ll be using paintball pellets, not real bullets. Won’t hurt you too much. Nothing your healing can’t take care of.”   
  
“I’ll be right here with you,” Allison said with a wink. “I’ve got to teach those guys how to use a bow properly.”   
  
Lydia sighed. “You guys better sure they’re paint.”   
  
Lydia’s phone rang. She checked the caller id. “It’s Jackson,” she rolled her eyes. Then, Allison’s phone rang. She said, “It’s Scott.” Lydia felt a little uneasy that the calls came so close, especially since the boys were supposed to be training. She answered Jackson’s call.   
  
“Lydia -- they’re targeting the hunters. They’re blowing up the cars. _Stay away from the cars._ ”   
  
Lydia’s eyes widened. Allison was trying to decipher Scott’s shouts, “What? Scott, calm down, I can’t understand you. What? Bombs? What?”   
  
“STOP THE CAR,” Lydia screamed. “GET OUT, NOW, NOW.”   
  
Chris slowed down, “What’s going on? What’s --”   
  
The SUV directly ahead of them exploded, sending the car soaring up high in a pillar of flames. It crashed a few feet away. The first one in the line sreeched to a stop.   
  
Chris slammed into the brakes. Allison and Lydia weren’t wearing seat belts, so they got out immediately. Chris unbuckled his and ran out. Victoria was struggling with hers, trying to unbuckle hers, but failing to do so.    
  
The hunters poured out of the first SUV and stood there, staring at the burning wreckage that used to be a SUV.    
  
“Get away from the car!” Chris screamed, but the sound of his voice never reached the hunters; the words were swallowed up by the roaring fire. Their SUV exploded, engulfing the hunters in flames. One screamed, running down the road before collapsing. _Fuck._ Chris turned back to his family, making sure that they were out. Allison was next to him, good, and Victoria -- fuck. Victoria was still in the car.   
  
Lydia heard Victoria screaming for Chris. She turned and ran back to the passenger door, tore it off the car and extended her claws. She reached over and ripped apart the belt and grabbed Victoria, pulling her out of the car. They turned to run, but only went a few feet before the SUV exploded. Victoria was ahead of Lydia, so she was shielded from the majority of the fire. The explosive force sent them both flying. Victoria slammed against a tree and crumbled to the ground. Lydia flew past the tree and crashed into the ground, rolled a few times and came to a stop on her stomach, flames burning through the cloth on her back.   
  
“VICTORIA!”   
  
“LYDIA!”   
  
Chris ran for his wife and Allison ran for her packmate. Blood was streaming down Victoria’s head and her left arm was broken. She was out cold, but alive. Chris took out his cell phone and called for an ambulance, stroking Victoria’s head. “You’re okay, baby, you’re okay. You’re okay,” he said, trying to convince himself of that.   
  
A car came from behind and stopped and the two men inside jumped out and ran to help the women.   
  
Allison tore off her jacket and slapped it down on Lydia’s back, dousing the flames. Lydia was shaking from the pain, moaning. Allison was crying, “Are you okay? Lydia, can you hear me?” Lydia’s eyes met Allison’s and she nodded slowly.    
  
“I-- I think I’ll be fine,” she said as one of the men arrived to check on her. “It’s just... hot. It hurts. Is... she okay?”   
  
Allison stiffled a sob and shouted to his father, “Is Mom okay? Is she...” Allison couldn’t finish the sentence.   
  
“She’s hurt bad, but alive. We need to get her to the hospital. But her head... I don’t know if I can move her. I can’t tell if her neck is fine. We have to wait for the ambulance,” Chris stated. His eyes never left his wife’s face.    
  
“She’s fine,” Allison said to the stranger. “Go help my dad, please.” The man nodded and ran over to Chris. “Lydia, are you healing? Can you heal?”   
  
“I can feel it repairing, but it’s very slow. It just hurts. Call Derek, tell him.”   
  
Allison searched for her phone, but it was probably in the car when it blew up. So was Lydia’s.    
  
“Dad! Can I borrow your phone? I need to call them,” Allison shouted. Chris replied by tossing his phone over. She dialed.   
  
“Derek? Yeah, I’m fine. Dad’s fine. My mom and Lydia are hurt bad. Everyone else’s dead,” Allison sobbed. “Can you guys... please, just come? Hurry.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The officers failed in their feeble attempt to stop them. Derek’s Camaro swerved to the side and roared past the roadblock the officers had set up, closely followed by the Winchesters’ Impala. Their brakes squeaked as the cars came to a stop just as the firefighters extinguished the last of the flames and the EMTs were carting an unconscious Victoria into the ambulance.   
  
Allison ran straight for Scott once he climbed out of the Camaro and clutched into him, crying. The Sheriff and Chris were standing nearby the ambulance, where Chris was watching Victoria and talking at the same time. Stiles went to his father, latching himself onto him.   
  
The Winchesters and Castiel jogged up to the side of the ambulance and stopped to inspect the wreckages of the SUVs. There was nothing left of them except the metal skeletons.   
  
“My Baby could have been that.”   
  
“We were really lucky. That could have been us,” Sam said, ignoring Dean’s comment. “Werewolves using bombs, especially the kind that burns that hot? Those guys mean business.”    
  
Castiel nodded and added, “The battle for Beacon Hills has begun.”   
  
Allison pointed Derek in the direction where Lydia was lying, shivering. A few of the EMTs were with her, including Melissa McCall. Derek, followed by Jackson and Danny, ran off to check on her.    
  
“Hey Lydia,” Derek said softly. “You okay?”   
  
Lydia nodded against the dirt and groaned as one of the EMTs prodded at the burnt skin. Melissa waved them away, leaving just her and the pack. “You guys are really lucky I was subbing for one of the EMTs today,” she said. “I’m not sure what to do with her. Do we need to take her to the hospital or will she be fine?”   
  
“She’ll be fine,” a determined Jackson said. “She will be.” Lydia gave him a small thankful smile.    
  
“Yeah, I will be,” Lydia said. “I can feel it healing. Help me up, please.” Danny and Jackson each took an arm around their necks and lifted her up. She groaned as her back shifted around. She exhaled. “Okay. Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just... I don’t want anyone to see my back. They’ll never believe it when I walk around with perfect skin later.”    
  
Derek started to take his leather jacket off, but Melissa stopped him. “I’m sorry, Lydia, but we can’t put anything over the skin, not when it’s this raw. It could stick to the jacket.”   
  
Lydia nodded, “Okay. Makes sense. Can we at least make sure nobody’s staring at my breasts? I’d like to keep my dignity.”    
  
“Good to see you’ve still got your sense of humor,” Melissa chuckled.   
  
The EMTs had cut her clothes off to clear the burns of any obstacles, so her shirt was practically falling apart. Jackson was holding up the tattered remains of the shirt over Lydia's breasts with his free arm.   
  
After positioning the jacket so the back of the jacket faced Lydia’s chest, Derek carefully helped slip Lydia’s arms into the sleeves of his jacket, making sure that no part of the jacket reached Lydia’s back. They led her to Derek’s camaro, where she climbed into the back seat and leaned against the passenger seat. Derek could see the skin slowly repair itself and he exhaled. The pace of the healing was picking up. She would be okay.   
  
The ambulance holding Victoria left with the EMTs, sans Melissa, who said she’d take care of Lydia. Chris was still talking with the Sheriff. Derek walked over to them and drew Stiles in close.   
  
The Sheriff looked at Derek. “So, they’ve made the first move. Now what?”   
  
Chris growled. “We’re not even prepared, and we’ve just lost half of our hunters. We’re not ready for this.”   
  
“Then get ready,” Dean said, coming from behind Derek. “They don’t care if you’re not ready. In fact, they count on you not being ready. It doesn’t matter. Get ready. Be ready. Because Cas’ right, the war’s just begun.”    
  
Chris clenced his jaws so hard, Stiles thought his teeth might crack.    
  
Dean continued, “They came after us. They’re trying to get rid of the people who pose the most threat to them. They either don’t think the pack is a threat, or they think they’ll join up with them. Or, the pack’s next. Either way, we’ve all got to prepare for the worst.”   
  
“Okay,” Chris exhaled. “I’m going to go to the hospital. I need to check on my wife. You guys go and get everyone armed and ready. We need to be ready for anything and everything. Sheriff, could one of your men drive me to the hospital?”   
  
“I’ll do it,” the Sheriff replied.    
  
“Thank you,” Chris said. “First, I need to see Allison and Lydia. Where are they?”   
  
“They’re in my car,” Derek replied. Chris nodded and scanned for the Camaro and headed for it. Melissa took his spot next to the Sheriff and she said, “Hey Sheriff. Do you think you could teach me how to use a gun?”   
  
The Sheriff asked, “I can... I have to ask, though, why?”   
  
“I can’t sit back and do nothing when all this is happening. Especially if my son is involved.”   
  
“You’re not doing nothing,” Derek said. “You’re the only one out of all of us who can take care of the injured. You may be the most important person.”   
  
Melissa smiled. “Thank you, Derek. I’d prefer if we didn’t get to the ‘taking care’ stage, however. I’d prefer if we were able to keep everyone in one piece, and I intend to do whatever I can to help. So, Sheriff, will you?”   
  
The Sheriff affirmed his earlier stance, “Yes, I will. Come with me. We don’t have time to spare, so I’ll teach you after I drop Chris off at the hospital.   
  
“Thank you, Sheriff.”   
  
Allison was inside the Camaro, sitting next to Lydia. Her tears had dried up and left ugly streaks down her cheeks. She was murmuring to Lydia. Chris opened the door on Lydia’s side and knelt down, examining the burn.    
  
“You okay, Allison?” After she nodded, he turned to Lydia. “Are you going to be okay, Lydia?”   
  
Lydia looked at him. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s healing. What about your wife?”   
  
“I don’t know yet. I’m going to go to the hospital now. Before I go, I wanted to thank you. You saved my wife’s life. You saved my daughter’s life. You saved my life. Thank you, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.”   
  
Lydia shrugged slightly. “It was just the right thing to do. I was just trying to keep myself alive. No need to thank me.”   
  
“Yes, I do need to, Lydia. You didn’t have to go back for Victoria. Thank you.” Chris got up and left before Lydia could say something.    
  
“He’s right,” Allison said. “You were amazing. Thank you so much. I’d hug you right now, but I want to give you a real good hug, so I’m going to wait until that burn is gone.”   
  
Lydia laughed despite the pain.    
  
“Just go to sleep,” Allison said. “It should help.”   
  
“Good idea,” Lydia said. She closed her eyes, even though she knew the pain would keep her up.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The Camaro and Impala came to a stop in front of the Hale house and they all got out. Stiles held Derek’s hand and leaned onto him, both of them watching and waiting for Lydia to emerge from the car. She got out and while her burn had faded considerably, she was still in pain. Jackson picked her up by her legs and Lydia wrapped her arms around his neck. Walking slowly, Jackson carried her inside. Danny followed them and Dean, Sam, and Castiel were the next to enter the house.  
  
Derek and Stiles headed for the house and Scott was waiting for Allison.  
  
“Go on ahead,” Allison said, grabbing Stiles’ hand. “I need to talk to you. Alone, if you guys don’t mind?”  
  
Derek raised an eyebrow but let go of Stiles’ other hand and went inside. Scott followed.  
  
“What’s it?”  
  
“Not here,” hissed Allison. “They can still hear us. Come on.”  
  
After Allison was satisfied they were far enough into the woods, she stopped.  
  
“What’s going on, Allison? Why did you drag me out here?”  
  
“I need to ask you something.”  
  
“Okay? What?”  
  
She sighed before she began. “You know what Dean told me and Jackson the other day, right? About Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell?”  
  
“Yeah. That guy has had a crappy life, I wouldn’t --”  
  
“Stiles. The point is, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately and now after I just nearly died, I realized something. I can’t deal with the knowledge that I’m going to Heaven if I die, and I’ll never see Scott or any of you guys again. That’s not my idea of Heaven.”  
  
Stiles frowned. “You want the bite, don’t you?”  
  
“Yeah. I don’t care if Purgatory is a shitty place, at least I would be with Scott. I’d be with you all. None of you can go to Heaven, so... this is the only choice I’ve got left.”  
  
“Derek will never do it. I mean, I can try and talk him into it, but you’ve got to understand that the odds of him actually giving you --”  
  
“Stiles. I know Derek won’t do it. I know there’s no way in hell anybody will ever convince him to give me the bite. Not with my family around.”  
  
“I don’t understand the point of this conversation then. If you know Derek won’t do it, why are you asking --”  
  
“Stiles, would you just shut up? Listen to me. I know Derek won’t do it. But he’s not the only Alpha here.”  
  
Stiles’ eyes went so wide, the white of his eyes became an ocean surrounding his irises.   
  
“Are you insane? You want me to --”  
  
“Yes, Stiles. I need you to give me the bite. Right now, before Derek finds out.”


	5. Round Two

# Chapter Four

“Are you _insane_?”

“Please, Stiles.”

“Derek will kill me,” Stiles enunciated.

“Come on, put yourself in my shoes. If you were still a human and you knew you’d go to Heaven and Derek would go to Purgatory, how would you feel?”

“I don’t know,” Stiles said after a while. “I mean, I would still want to go to Heaven, because I want to see my Mom. And Dad would be there, eventually. But... I get it. I don’t know if I could handle that.” Stiles sighed. “I don’t think I could leave Derek.”

“Exactly. I feel the same with Scott. I love him. I love my family too, but I made my decision. I chose this pack. It doesn’t matter if my parents don’t approve. After what Lydia did, at the very least, my Dad is starting to see us for who we are. He’s not going to like it. But it doesn’t matter because it’s my life, not his. I want this. I want to be with Scott. And it’s not just Scott, but it’s also the rest of the pack. You guys are my family too. I want to be with you guys, always.”

“Oh shit,” Stiles moaned. He had looked at Allison’s eyes and that was the final straw. “Derek’s going to kill me.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Yeah, I guess it is.”

Allison beamed. “Thank you, Stiles.”

“Fuck. Right now?”

“Yeah, now.”

“Okay. Lift your shirt up. I’ve never done this before, okay? I don’t even know if I’ll do it right. Sorry if I bite you and nothing happens, okay?”

“Stiles, shut up and do it,” Allison said, holding the shirt up, exposing her hip.

Stiles groaned. “Okay, okay. Here goes nothing.”

Stiles’ Alpha teeth grew in and he bent down to Allison’s hip. He swallowed then bit her. She screamed. Stiles let go immediately.

Allison groaned, looking down at the bite. 

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I think so. How long --” Allison cut off and screamed. She clutched at her hip and Stiles fell to his knees, his hands hovering around the bite, unsure what to do.

“Allison! Are you okay?”

Allison squeezed shut her eyes and let out a groaned scream. Her eyelids snapped open and her irises were a brilliant white, so white it was like looking at a pair of headlights. The bite rapidly healed and the skin was restored to its smoothness. Allison stopped screaming and her eyes were brown again.

“What the hell? That was really fast,” Stiles wondered. Allison stared at the non-existent bite and blinked a few times.

“I don’t... I’m already a... I can hear holy shit wow.”

She heard footsteps. Running footsteps. She looked up and saw Derek and Scott running to a stop just in front of her. Neither of them said anything for a few seconds.

“What the _fuck_ did you do, Stiles?!” Derek roared. Stiles, who was immersed by the missing bite, jumped and turned to Derek. “Derek! Uhh. I umm. Ask her.”

“ _Ask her?!_ You’re the one who bit her. I’m asking _you_.”

“Umm. Dude, I... Uhh. Allison? Want to jump in here anytime?”

“I’m sorry, Derek,” Allison rescued. “I asked him to do it. I knew you wouldn’t.”

“Of fucking course I wouldn’t! You should know better, Stiles. Why the hell did you do it?”

“I made him understand, Derek. I made him understand why I needed to be turned.”

Stiles smiled sheepishly and slowly shrugged. “What she said?”

Derek growled. He looked at the hip Stiles had been staring at. There was blood, but no bite marks. “Let me see the bite,” he demanded. 

“It’s already gone,” Allison replied.

“What? No, that’s impossible. Turning bites don’t heal that fast. Let me see.”

Allison lifted her shirt up and showed both sides of her hips to Derek. No bite, only the streaks of blood where the bite once was. Derek stared. Then, he looked at Stiles. After half a minute of awkward silence, Derek said, “Scott. Call Dr. Deaton. Tell him we’re on our way to his clinic. Stiles, let’s go.”

“What? Are you getting me spayed or something?” Stiles laughed nervously.

“ _Move,_ ” Derek growled. Stiles’ legs somehow started working and he lumbered behind Derek. They went straight for Derek’s Camaro. Scott was still staring at Allison. 

“Why did you do it?”

Allison smiled. “For you. For the pack. For the afterlife. I nearly died today. If I had, I would have gone to Heaven, and I would have never seen you again. This way... if either of us ever dies, we can just wait for the other in Purgatory.”

“But Purgatory is a dangerous place,” Scott pointed out.

“I know.”

“They why?”

“Because I love you.”

Scott sighed. “I love you too,” he said, his lips finally turning into a smile. They kissed. 

“I’ve got to call Dr. Deaton now. I wonder why they’re going over there, though,” Scott said, pulling his cell phone out and dialing Dr. Deaton’s number.

\-----------------------------------

  
Melissa squeezed the trigger. Over and over again. Once the clip was gone, the Sheriff hit the button that recalled the paper target.    
  
“You’re pretty good,” the Sheriff complimented. There weren’t any bullseyes, but the majority of them hit close to the center of the target. “Have you done this before?”   
  
“Yeah,” Melissa replied. “My ex-husband taught me. Ever since the divorce, I’ve just tried to forget everything associated to him. Except this. It lets me release some of the pent-up crap I’ve got. Therapeutic. I haven’t needed to do it in a long time, though. Wanted to make sure my aim was still good.”   
  
The Sheriff smiled. “That’s good. It should be like riding a bike,” he said as he replaced the paper target with a new one. He hit the button and it slid back to its original position. Melissa reloaded her gun and emptied it once again.   
  
“Well, you certainly don’t need my help. I think you’ll be fine. Are you sure you want to get involved like this, though?”   
  
“Yeah, I am. How can I sit back and hope for the best when my teenage son is involved in war that could get him killed? At the very least, I’ve got to try to protect my son.”   
  
“Yeah, I understand,” the Sheriff said. “All of this is getting crazier and crazier. It doesn’t feel like things will ever calm down.”   
  
“They will. Eventually. We just need to believe that.”   
  
The Sheriff smiled. “You’re pretty wise, Melissa.”   
  
“Oh I know,” Melissa said with a wink and they both laughed. They fell silent and Melissa shifted nervously.    
  
“Hey Sheriff... after all this is done, do you think we could, like, get a coffee or something?”   
  
The Sheriff froze. He looked at Melissa silently for far too long.    
  
“Sorry I asked. Forget it,” she laughed, waving her question off and focused on the gun, replacing the clip.   
  
“I’m sorry, Melissa. It’s been so long. I haven’t...”   
  
“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry.”   
  
“No, Melissa... I mean, I’d like to.”   
  
“You would?” Melissa asked, looking at him. The Sheriff smiled. “Yeah, I would. It is going to be awkward for Stiles and Scott, though.”   
  
“Oh fuck them,” Melissa laughed. “Us dating can’t be much more awkward than them being werewolves. We’ve got that over them.”    
  
The Sheriff chuckled. “Good point.”   
  
Melissa aimed the gun at the paper target and started firing again.   
  
“Hey, Melissa. Try exhaling when you fire, it should give you better aim,” the Sheriff advised, taking a step closer to Melissa. She nodded and turned back to the target. Her face hidden from the Sheriff, she smiled a little smile. She exhaled and squeezed the trigger.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles was sitting in the back room at the clinic. Derek was standing nearby, glaring at Dr. Deaton. During the trip there, Stiles tried to find out what was going on, but after the fourth _Shut. Up._ , Stiles gave up.    
  
“You know what’s going on with Stiles, don’t you?”   
  
Dr. Deaton simply smiled.   
  
“Wait, what’s going on with me? There’s nothing going on with me. I’m fine.”   
  
“No, you’re not.”   
  
“Yes, I am, I --”   
  
“ _No_ , you’re not. You can smell better than any of us. You can move faster than any of us. You’re stronger than me,” Derek said.   
  
“I am not stronger than you,” Stiles protested. “You kicked my ass every time we fought.”   
  
“That’s because I have experience and you don’t. You’ve already improved from our first spar to our most recent one. You also didn’t even have a problem staying in control during your first moon. And your bite instantly turns others,” Derek finished. He looked back at Dr. Deaton and asked, “You know why, don’t you?”   
  
“I suppose I do.”   
  
“What?” Stiles whispered.    
  
“I promised your mother I would not tell you anything until you turned eighteen, but I suppose now will have to do. An ancient bloodline runs through your veins, from your mother’s side. Some people with the bloodline live completely normal lives. Some, however, will get certain abilities.”   
  
“What abilities?” Stiles asked, his curiosity piqued.   
  
“It depends. On the environment. On how you were raised. On a many variables. This bloodline is similar to the concept of mutants.”   
  
“Like, the X-Men kind?”   
  
“Yes, that kind.”   
  
“So... I’m like, a mutant? A mutant what? What can I do?”   
  
“Like I said, it depends on how you were raised. On what happens to you. For example, if you were bitten by a werewolf...”   
  
“What then?” This time, it was Derek who asked the question.   
  
“I can’t say for sure, but your mother seemed to think it would enhance the natural abilities of the werewolf.”   
  
“My mom knew I was going to be a werewolf?”   
  
“No, I wouldn’t say that. She gave me some information on the bloodline before she passed away. She knew about the Hales, so she used lycanthropy as an example.”   
  
“Okay so... I’m like a superwerewolf? Super Werewolf, I like that. That should be my superhero name.”   
  
Derek growled and Stiles shut up.   
  
“What would have happened to Stiles if he hadn’t been bitten?”   
  
“I don’t know. The abilities tend to emerge when the person is between the ages of eighteen and twenty. It’s also entirely possible that it would have remained dormant for the rest of his life. I can’t know for sure.”   
  
“Why didn’t you tell him when he was first bitten?”   
  
“His mother left me specific instructions to wait for him to come to me. He needed to discover this on his own. Apparently you took care of that though,” Dr. Deaton smiled.   
  
“So, can I do anything else? Like, can I move stuff around with my mind? That’d be really cool.”   
  
“I doubt that, Stiles. However, like I said, I don’t know anything more. It’s entirely possible there’s more to what you can do, but you’re still too young. Frankly, I’m rather surprised your abilities have kicked in this early. It’s most likely due to the bite; the binding of lycanthropy into your DNA probably triggered the ability early. I’m sorry I don’t have much more information.”   
  
“What about --”   
  
Derek’s phone rang. He frowned at the caller ID but answered.   
  
“What is it, Scott?”   
  
“There’s an Alpha here. A different one. And his entire pack is here. He wants to talk to you.”   
  
Derek growled silently, baring his teeth at the phone. “We’re coming.”   
  
“What’s going on?” Stiles asked.   
  
“One of the Alphas and his pack. They’re at the house. We need to go, now. Thank you, Dr. Deaton. I have some more questions, but they’ll have to wait.”   
  
“Of course. Be careful.”   
  
Derek nodded and ushered Stiles out of the clinic and into the Camaro and sped off.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Scott hung up and tossed the phone onto the porch. Jackson, Danny, Lydia and Allison were all standing near Scott. Dean, Sam, and Castiel were up on the porch, Dean leaning against the wall.   
  
The majority of the pack stood in the woods, hiding in the shadows. The only visible parts of them were their silhouettes and the random glowing eyes. Johnny was in the clearing front of the house, strutting around like he owned the place.  
  
“So. You guys are the Winchesters? Figures you guys would be the one to survive the bombs. You guys are _legendary_ after all,” Johnny said sarcastically. “The tall one is kind of cute. It’s too bad you’re going to die.”  
  
Jackson growled.  
  
“Oh, don’t worry little boy, you’re not a hunter. We don’t need to kill you. Not yet, anyway. We’ll see what this Hale says. Those Winchesters, on the other hand, they’ve got to die. It’s only business.”  
  
“There’s no point in killing us. We’ll just come back and kill you,” Dean said.  
  
“Oh yes, I did hear you guys were immortal. I suppose we’ll find out,” Johnny said, grinning.  
  
Dean walked down the steps, past the pack, and strode right up to Johnny. “I’m right here. You’ve got a free shot. Go ahead, kill me.”  
  
“Dean!” Sam and Castiel shouted at the same time.  
  
Johnny looked up and down Dean, trying to decide if he was serious or not. “Not right now. That’d be impolite. I have business with the Hales, after all. After the meeting, maybe I’ll take you up on your offer.”  
  
“Looking forward to it,” Dean said. He scoffed then walked over to his car and leaned against it. Sam and Castiel joined him and Sam whispered, “What are you doing?”  
  
“Does it matter? You know we’ll come back. It doesn’t matter.”  
  
“Yes, it does. We might not come back this time.”  
  
“It’d be a miracle then! Life proceeding like normal for once.”  
  
Sam sighed in exasperation. Castiel tilted his head and stared at Dean. Dean just shrugged.  
  
“How old are you guys anyway?”  
  
None of the pack made a move to answer Johnny.  
  
“Come on, we’ve got to entertain ourselves until your Alpha arrives. Or is it Alphas? Yes, I suppose neither of them are here. What’s it like having two Alphas? I’ve got to imagine following orders has to be hard. Do this, one says. Do that, the other says. How do you guys do it?”  
  
Lydia rolled her eyes. “Derek is our Alpha, not Stiles.”  
  
“Really? And this Stiles doesn’t try to lead at all? Leading is kind of in an Alpha’s blood.”  
  
“You don’t know our pack at all,” Lydia said coldly.  
  
“Fiesty. I like,” Johnny snickered. “What’s your name, little girl?” Lydia didn’t answer. “Man, none of you have any manners. Fine, I’ll start. My name is Johnny Smith. Your turn.”  
  
“You’ll excuse me if I don’t have any manners. You did try to kill me earlier today, after all,” Lydia growled.  
  
“I did? May I ask how? Oh, you must be the Argent girl. I thought you were a human, though. Neither of you girls are humans. Melly’s nose must be broken. It’s too bad you didn’t die with the rest. I do hope your parents burned rather well.”  
  
Allison growled and stepped forward but Lydia grabbed her and dragged her back.   
  
“Oh, are you the Argent then? Heh,” Johnny smirked. “You guys _are_ an interesting bunch.”  
  
“You guys are disgusting murderers,” Allison insulted.  
  
“ _We_ ’re the murderers? That’s fucking hilarious, Argent. Do you know how many of us you hunters have killed? How many of us were just trying to live life? How many of us were just trying to blend into the world? Trying to be normal? And we were hunted down just because of _what we are_? You’ve got some nerve calling us murderers when your kind does the exact same thing!” Johnny snarled.  
  
“We are what we are because of people like you. We have to kill to survive. We’re being pushed away from our homes, we’re being hunted. If we had a stable place to live, we would be able to live normal lives. But no, we have to run. When you’re on the run, you do what you have to survive.   
  
“I don’t know how Hale can put up with having you in his pack, _your_ family killed his. If I was him, I would have ripped you apart a long fucking time ago. If this negotiation goes south, I’ll be killing you first, Argent.”  
  
Allison drew back, swallowing. She had no answer to Johnny's verbal assault; she had used the same reasoning to defend her own pack against her father. Not exactly the same, but close enough. Scott gripped her hand and held it tight, giving her a light squeeze.   
  
There were no more words exchanged between the two packs until Derek and Stiles arrived. Only intense eye contact.  
  
“About damn time,” Johnny muttered as the sound of the engine reached them. A minute later, the Camaro was parked next to the Impala and the Alphas of the Hale pack climbed out.  
  
“Derek Hale,” Johnny began. “And this must be Stiles. Interesting. Very interesting.”  
  
“What are you doing here?” Derek demanded.  
  
“Didn’t Melly tell you we were going to be back for your final answer?”  
  
“You tried to kill two of my pack today. There’s no fucking way I’d say yes after that.”  
  
“Actually, no. We were trying to kill the hunters. If they got caught in the crossfire, that’s not our fault. Who ever heard of werewolves working with hunters anyway? Especially hunters who killed your family,” Johnny said, glaring at Allison. “So. Are you sure your final answer is no?”  
  
“The answer will always be no.”  
  
“Well, then,” he turned around and started walking toward the woods, taking his jacket off. “I guess you guys can finally get some action. Go get them.” Johnny continued stripping the rest of his clothes off as his pack roared out of the woods, snarling and shouting.   
  
Dean pulled his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the trunk, pulling out two shotguns, tossing one to Sam, and a handgun. He also sheathed a machete. He grabbed some silver bullets and casings then slammed the trunk shut. Dean and Sam loaded their guns as Castiel drew his blade.  
  
Allison ran inside to grab her bow and arrows. The rest of the Betas all shifted and spread out, but not too far out. Derek slipped out of his leather jacket and tossed it onto the porch. He was fully transformed into his Alpha form before the jacket hit the wooden porch, the rest of his clothes falling off him in pieces. Stiles gulped and tore off his clothes as quickly as he could manage before joining Derek.  
  
Johnny’s pack went after the Betas and the Winchesters, bypassing Derek and Stiles completely. Derek howled and launched at a werewolf that was running straight for Danny, slamming him down and tearing his throat out with his teeth. Danny leapt over Derek and landed on a werewolf that had his back to Danny, facing Lydia, and the werewolf faceplanted.   
  
“Danny!” Lydia warned.  
  
Johnny, in his Alpha form, hit Danny and sent him flying backwards. He crashed near the steps just as Allison emerged from the house with her bow and arrow. Johnny saw her and his eyes glowed lime green and he took off. Allison notched and drew an arrow, but Johnny was far too fast for her. He leapt and opened his mouth wide, but Stiles grabbed his tail and pulled him back. Johnny’s mouth clamped shut just inches from Allison.  
  
Stiles whipped Johnny through the air and let go. Johnny crashed into the ground then got up, turned and growled at Stiles. They circled each other before Johnny crouched and leapt at Stiles, only to be knocked sideways by Derek, both of them sprawling and slashing at each other.  
  
The Winchesters were firing their shotguns, dropping werewolves left and right. Castiel swung his blade with convincing authority, stabbing one through the heart and cutting the throat of another.   
  
Allison drew back an arrow so far, the string nearly snapped. She let go and the arrow went through the head of the werewolf that was fighting Scott, leaving a hole on both sides of her skull, and pierced a tree. The werewolf dropped, but another one replaced her. Jackson was standing back-to-back with Scott, fighting off two werewolves.  
  
Jackson ducked as one of the werewolves slashed at his neck and punched him in the stomach. The werewolf doubled over. Then, Jackson spun away and kicked the werewolf that was fighting Scott in the stomach. Scott kicked the face of the werewolf that had doubled over, sending him high in the air and crashing on his back a few yards back. The third werewolf raked his claws down Scott’s back, but before he could do more damage, Jackson grabbed his hair, pulled back, and tore open his throat.  
  
Danny scrambled to his feet to join Lydia, who was surrounded by three werewolves. Danny leapt on the back of the closest one and slashed his throat open, leaving just the two. One of them grabbed Lydia and the other slashed at her stomach and four red streaks opened and Lydia howled in pain. Before the werewolf could continue his assault, Danny jumped and kicked his face. The werewolf growled in pain and then hit Danny in the stomach with his shoulder, slamming him into the ground.  
  
Lydia stomped on the foot of the werewolf behind her, knocked her head into his, then twisted the bottom half of her body and kneed him in the balls. The werewolf bent over, clutching his jewels and Lydia took advantage, ripping his throat open. Then, she slammed her body into the one that was holding Danny down, freeing him.  
  
Dean and Sam ran out of bullets. Dean pulled out his machete as Sam ran back to the trunk for his own. Dean saw a werewolf jump onto the top of the Impala from the corner of his eye. The werewolf launched himself at Sam and knocked him down, landing a few feet away. Dean ran for Sam as the werewolf got up and loomed over Sam, raising his claws.   
  
“Hey, motherfucker!”  
  
Dean swung his machete as the werewolf hesitated. The machete sliced through his neck, decapitating him.    
  
“Pay attention, Sammy boy.”  
  
“Thanks, Dean.”  
  
Dean turned around, only to find himself staring at a set of werewolf teeth. He raised his machete in a futile attempt to defend himself.  
  
“ _DEAN!_ ” Sam shouted.   
  
Castiel turned around just in time to see the werewolf’s teeth dig deep into Dean’s throat and tear it off. Blood spewed out of his throat and he collapsed.  
  
“ _DEAN_! Castiel screamed. He shoved his blade into the werewolf’s neck, tearing through his spine. The werewolf shivered and slid off the blade, slumping against the Impala. Castiel fell to his knees and cradled Dean’s lifeless body into his arms.   
  
Johnny leapt back from Derek and two of his Betas jumped on Derek, distracting him. Johnny turned to the source of the shouts and laughed at the sight of Castiel holding Dean’s body and at the horror in Sam’s eyes. Then, he noticed the dead bodies. There were far too many and every one of them belonged to his pack. None of the Hales were dead. Infuriated, he slammed into Jackson’s back, sending him flying. Scott turned around and was rewarded with four deep slashes across his chest and several more across his back as he fell.  
  
Allison dropped a werewolf that had gotten up on the porch with an arrow. She notched and drew another but hesitated when she saw Scott fall into the ground, blood flowing out of the cuts.   
  
“Scott!”  
  
Johnny snarled and galloped toward Allison. She let go of the arrow, but Johnny dodged easily. Allison dropped her bow and ran down the stairs, Johnny landing where she was just seconds ago. She turned and watched helplessly as Johnny jumped over the railing and soared gracefully. Allison ducked and then dove toward the porch, Johnny’s claws just barely missing her. Johnny landed then turned around, cornering Allison. Johnny growled.  
  
Stiles snarled and t-boned Johnny, catching him off-guard, and Johnny was pinned to the ground under Stiles’ paws. Stiles slashed and bit at Johnny’s exposed belly before Johnny managed to kick him off. Stiles landed on his side a few feet away but quickly got back on his feet. Johnny growled.   
  
Derek was being attacked by two Betas, but he was able to dispatch them both with ease. He looked over to Stiles fighting with Johnny and he wanted to help him because he was so inexperienced ~~and his mate~~ , but Jackson was in bigger danger. He was alone, fighting off three werewolves and trying to protect Scott at the same time.   
  
Derek growled and one of the three werewolves noticed him. He backed away slowly, leaving Jackson to deal with two of them. He had gashes on his arms and back, but otherwise was fine. Derek jumped, but not at the werewolf that was backing off. He caught one of the two werewolves by the neck and nearly tore his head off.   
  
Derek landed but only for a second. The next second, he was in the air again, taking down the werewolf that backed away with his teeth, ripping his life away. Jackson took advantage of the distraction Derek caused and ended the life of the third werewolf.  
  
Danny and Lydia were surrounded by four werewolves now. One of them feinted an attack toward Lydia and Danny fell for it, moving to protect Lydia. Instead, he left himself exposed. Two of the werewolves slashed him then grabbed and sent him flying. He crashed head first through the wall of the Hale house and laid there, unmoving.  
  
Lydia was alone, her stomach still bleeding profusely, the cuts on her arms less so. One of the werewolves bit Lydia’s leg and another clamped his mouth shut over her shoulder. The other two werewolves laughed, mocking her screams. They were fools, however, as Derek and Jackson came to her rescue. Derek killed the one that had bitten Lydia’s shoulder. The one that bit her leg let go and Jackson warded the three of them away, growling.  
  
Sam was in front of Castiel and Dean, slashing away with the machete. He cut the throat of one and she dropped and the other two backed off. Castiel still had Dean in his arms, oblivious to ongoing chaos.   
  
“Dean, please wake up. Please wake up,” Castiel whispered. “Father, please return him like you have every time. Don’t do this to me. Dean, wake up. _Wake up._ ”  
  
Johnny’s Betas were beginning to realize that this was a lost fight. The remaining Betas, six of them, were slowly withdrawing into the woods, leaving just Johnny, who was still fighting with Stiles. Allison was crouching near Scott, whispering to him, holding his upper body up.   
  
“You’ll be fine, Scott, just heal up. These cuts are nothing. You’re fine. Come on, Scott, heal!”  
  
Jackson and Lydia slowly backed up to where Scott and Allison were. Jackson was just ahead of Lydia, who was limping, and when they got to Scott and Allison, they stood in front of them to shield them from possible attacks.   
  
“Where’s Danny?” Jackson asked.  
  
“In the house. I haven’t seen him since they threw him through the wall. I don’t know if he’s okay,” Lydia replied.  
  
“I can hear his heartbeat,” Jackson said. “He should be fine. Just keep your eyes on them.”  
  
Derek watched Stiles and Johnny fight. Johnny was much more experienced but Stiles was faster and stronger. The brief training Stiles had gone through with Derek had improved his chances in this fight greatly. If Stiles was any regular Alpha, he would have been killed a long time ago, but he was holding his own pretty well.   
  
Stiles feinted right, then feinted left when Johnny didn’t buy the first feint. He bought the second. Stiles took advantage of the opening and slammed Johnny with all of his strength, sending him flying backwards, slamming against a thick tree. He collapsed onto the dirt and growled. His eyes glowed green and he crouched, ready to attack.   
  
A loud gasping distracted him.  
  
Dean’s body convulsed for a few seconds and he gasped for air. His throat was whole once again. He took in a deep breath, and another. Castiel closed his eyes and silently prayed his thanks to his Father.  
  
“Thank fucking God you’re back,” Sam said. “Didn’t waste any tears this time.”  
  
“Fuck you, bitch. I’m always worth wasting tears on,” Dean gasped as Castiel helped him to his feet.  
  
“As if, jerk.”  
  
Johnny’s eyes went wide and he shifted back into his human form. “That’s impossible. I saw you die. Your throat was shredded,” he complained.  
  
“I told you. You can kill me as often as you want, I’ll just come back every time.”  
  
Johnny growled and looked around. He was alone. Derek and Stiles both were in front of him. The Hale Betas were all mostly alive. The majority of his pack weren’t. The rest had all retreated. He was alone, utterly defeated.  
  
Derek returned to his human form and growled, “Do you want to continue this fight?” Stiles rose up and stood on his hind legs, looking remarkably tall. He bared his teeth.  
  
Johnny gulped. He withdrew slowly, keeping a watchful eye on the Hales. After he felt he was deep enough into the woods, he shifted back to his Alpha form and took off, the last of his pack trailing behind him.  
  
Lydia collapsed next to Scott and groaned, “Fuck. That hurts. So much. Why am I getting hurt so much today?”  
  
Jackson ran into the house to check on Danny. When Stiles resumed his human form and put on his clothes, Derek grabbed a boxer and a gym shorts from the Camaro and put them on. He stood over Lydia and Scott and asked, “You guys okay?”  
  
Lydia’s cuts were healing up slowly. She had gotten several more other than the deep ones on her stomach and that, coupled with the ordeal she had to go through earlier in the day, drained her of all her energy.  
  
“I need to eat. I don’t have any energy left,” Lydia said softly. Derek nodded. He looked over to Scott and Allison.  
  
“He’ll be okay. He’s kind of out of it, but he’s healing.” Scott groaned but nodded, affirming what Allison had just said.   
  
“Jackson! Danny! You guys okay?”  
  
“Yeah, we’re okay,” Jackson said as he helped Danny up. Danny shook his head and blinked a few times. “I hope I never do that again. That fucking hurt,” he said, rubbing his head where it broke through the wood.  
  
Derek inhaled sharply then gave out a great sigh. “Fuck. I’m glad we’re all okay.”  
  
“Yeah, that’s kind of impressive,” Dean said. “I’m not sure how you guys managed to survive that. A bunch of kids. If I was that guy, I’d probably kill myself out of embarrassment.”  
  
Derek barked out a laugh. “You guys were amazing. Great job, everybody.” Stiles nodded his agreement, but his eyes was on Dean the entire time.  
  
“What?”  
  
“I saw that guy rip your throat out. You should be dead. You _were_ dead.”  
  
Dean shrugged.   
  
“Like we said,” Sam spoke, shrugging and sighing. “God isn’t finished with us.”  
  
“That’s a pretty awesome superpower,” Stiles said. “And you’re not the only one! I have my own superpower too! Dr. Deaton said --”  
  
Derek grabbed Stiles from behind and pulled him into his chest, holding tightly. “I’m still going to kill you for what you did to Allison,” Derek began. “But you did real good today. You handled yourself well.”  
  
“I learned from the best,” grinned Stiles. Derek smiled and kissed the top of Stiles’ head.  
  
A car rumbled up the road, drawing closer to the house. Stiles squinted and shifted his head so his ear faced the oncoming engine and he strained to listen.  
  
“It’s my Dad.”  
  
The Sheriff’s car stopped just front of the first body. The Sheriff, Chris Argent and Melissa McCall climbed out of the car.  
  
“What the fuck happened here?” The Sheriff asked.


	6. The Aftermath

# Chapter Five

  
“Scott!”   
  
Melissa McCall skipped over the scattered bodies and made her way to the spot where Scott and Lydia were lying down.   
  
“Mom? I’m okay, don’t worry.”   
  
Melissa fell to her knees and covered her mouth, her eyes filling up with water.   
  
“Mom, I said I’ll be fine. The healing will take care of it, don’t worry.”   
  
“Don’t tell me to not worry! I don’t care if you have super healing or not, seeing my son like this is heartbreaking,” Melissa sniffled. She placed her hand on Scott’s cheek and a tear fell. “You need to be more careful, honey.”   
  
Scott smiled. “I know. I’m sorry, Mom.”   
  
Melissa sighed but also smiled. She shifted her knees so she could check on Lydia. “Are you going to be okay?”   
  
“Yeah, I will be. I just... need food. Need energy.”   
  
“Right,” Derek replied. “I’ll order some pizza for us.”   
  
“No, you’re not,” the Sheriff said. “You’re not getting anyone to drive over here with all this,” he gestured to the bodies. Derek groaned.    
  
“We’ll pick them up,” Sam offered. “Our treat.”   
  
“Thank you, Sam.”   
  
“Can you guys help me up?” Scott asked as the Winchesters and Castiel pushed the dead werewolf off the Impala and got in.   
  
The Winchesters departed. Melissa and Allison helped guide Scott to the porch steps where Jackson had just set Danny down.    
  
“Okay, now, someone tell me what just happened here,” the Sheriff demanded. Stiles volunteered, “One of the Alphas came with his pack. He wanted our final answer, whether we would join them or not. We told them no, so they tried to kill us. They failed,” Stiles shrugged.   
  
The Sheriff and Chris stared at Stiles. “That’s it? That can’t be it. Look at how many of them there are,” Chris inquired, “they outnumbered you. And you’re all okay? How?”   
  
“They’re a crappy pack?” Stiles offered.    
  
“To be honest, I'm not really sure how,” Derek explained. “But I really doubt it’s going to happen again. Us having two Alphas was a huge advantage, one I’m sure they won’t let us have again. Castiel is a very good fighter. He and the Winchesters helped a lot as well.”   
  
Chris sighed. “Did any of them get away?”   
  
“Maybe five, plus their Alpha.”   
  
“That’s not good,” Chris said softly. “Allison! Are you okay?”   
  
Allison looked up from where she was sitting. “Yeah, Dad. I’m fine.”   
  
“Good. Good. Sheriff, I’m thinking we should probably get your officers to come here. Show them just how real all this is. Some of them still think it’s a joke.”   
  
The Sheriff frowned. “I’m not...” He hesitated. “Yes, I think you may be right.” He opened the door of his car and picked up his walkie-talkie. “Dispatch, send all available units to the Hale house immediately.”    
  
The Sheriff put down the walkie-talkie and sighed, watching his son. He knew what Stiles had gone through with the Alcotts. He knew he was a werewolf; he’s seen his Alpha form. He knew about the Alpha Council and their plans. But, this was different. This was death. This was _real_. This is what his son was stuck in the middle of. And it scared him to death. What if, one day, one of the dead bodies was his son? He shook his head, trying to shoo away those thoughts.   
  
Stiles walked over then sat down on the ground besides Lydia and smiled. She glared at him. “What?”   
  
“Nothing. You seemed lonely out here, so I thought I’d keep you company.”   
  
Lydia chuckled then winced.    
  
“Do you want me to help you to the porch? So you can at least sit up?”    
  
“Yeah, that would be nice,” Lydia said, nodding slowly. Stiles smiled, got to his feet and picked Lydia up and carried her, slowly, to the steps and said, “If you’re not hurt, get outta the way!”   
  
Jackson, Allison and Melissa scrambled out of the way and Stiles put Lydia down, in between Danny and Scott. Lydia leaned onto Danny for support while Scott leaned against the railing.    
  
“Jackson, go get some water bottles out of the refrigerator,” Stiles said. Jackson went without an argument. He came back with several bottles in his arms. He leaned down so Stiles could pull three bottles from the pile and hand them to the three injured Betas. Jackson set down the rest on the railing.   
  
Derek picked one of the bottles and sat in the dirt, guzzling down the water. Stiles plopped down next to him and rested his head on Derek’s shoulder, closing his eyes.    
  
The Sheriff and Chris looked at each other, looks of uncertainty on their faces. They both sighed.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“So, Dean. What was that all about?”   
  
“Hmm? What was what all about?” Dean replied, glancing away from the road.   
  
“Back there,” Sam said. “Offering yourself to the Alpha like that. Why did you do that?”   
  
Dean shrugged. “Figured I’d come back anyway. Might as well freak him out.”   
  
Sam pursed his lips. “Dean. What if you didn’t come back? I don’t care if we keep coming back, you can’t gamble with your life like that. One day, we're not going to come back. I don’t want you taking that risk.”   
  
“Don’t worry, whatever it is God wants us to do, we haven’t done it. We’re not going to die until then.”   
  
“That’s not the fucking point!” Sam shouted.    
  
“Sam is right,” Castiel agreed. “You shouldn’t take unnecessary risks. God works in --”   
  
“Don’t even say it, Cas,” Dean warned. “God can fuck off.”   
  
Castiel frowned.    
  
“I’m so tired of being dragged along like I’m some fucking dog. I’m tired of everything. I’m tired of living this life. I’m tired of waiting for God. Fuck all this destiny bullshit. We already stopped the Apocalypse, but God’s still not done with us? It’s all bullshit. I just want to --” Dean stopped abruptly.   
  
“You want to what?” Sam interrogated. “You want to what, exactly?”   
  
“Nothing. Forget it,” Dean said. Sam went into Maximum Bitch Face Mode. “ _What, Dean?_ ”   
  
Dean refused to say anything.   
  
“You want to die,” Castiel said softly. “Permanently.”   
  
Sam scoffed, waiting for Dean to refute. Instead, Dean said nothing. He just stared at the road. Sam’s mouth slowly opened. “Is he right? Is Cas right?”   
  
Dean still said nothing.   
  
“Damn it, Dean! Talk to me! Is Cas right?!” Sam demanded.   
  
“What if he is?” Dean whispered.   
  
Sam’s mouth dropped. He stammered, “Dean, what? H- How can you say that? How can you just give up like that?”   
  
Dean laughed. “Because life here on Earth is bullshit. Hell is hell. And the people who deserve to go to Heaven don’t even get there, so the afterlife is bullshit too. Mom’s stuck in Purgatory. She doesn’t deserve to be there. There’s a lot of people who’s in Purgatory that don’t deserve to be there. Nothing in this life is fair, we knew that, but the next life isn’t fair either, and it’s _supposed_ to be. There’s nothing to look forward to. I’m just done.”   
  
They pulled into the pizza place and Dean got out and walked inside. Sam just sat there, stunned. Castiel drew back and sank into his seat, deep into his own thoughts.   
  
Tears freely streamed down from Sam’s eyes.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The Sheriff was with his officers, explaining what had just happened. Several of them were gaping at the bodies, most notably Mathieu Rodriguez. He was crouched over one of the bodies, studying it intensively.    
  
“Rodriguez! Pay attention!”   
  
“I am, Sheriff,” he replied, keeping his eyes on the dead werewolf. The Sheriff frowned but resumed his explanation. Rodriguez got up and walked over to the porch, where the pack was still sitting at.   
  
“So, you guys are the werewolf pack? You’re all so young,” Rodriguez remarked. “Are you guys okay?”   
  
Most of the pack nodded. Lydia and Scott had mostly healed up and Danny’s concussion symptoms were fading away. Allison sat behind Scott, with him leaning back in between her legs. Derek and Stiles were still sitting on the ground and Jackson was leaning against the house next to the hole Danny made.    
  
“I’m amazed. You guys must be really good if you all survived that.” None of the pack responded to that. Rodriguez crouched next to Derek and Stiles and whispered, “Do you... think maybe, you could give me the bite?”   
  
Derek tore his gaze away from the officers covering the dead bodies with sheets and looked at Rodriguez. “Why?”   
  
“I...,” Rodriguez sighed and sat down. “I’ve always been interested in the supernatural world. I’ve researched everything from werewolves to demons,” he paused. “I’ve always found my life boring. I wanted to be Superman when I was a kid, and I still want to be Superman today. I just... I want to be different from everyone else.   
  
“I also wanted to fight bad guys; I’ve always wanted to do that, that’s why I joined the force. Now I’ve got an opportunity to really fight bad people, to be what I’ve always wanted to be. This is my opportunity to help out the way I’ve always wanted to. I understand if you guys say no, but I figured I might as well try.”   
  
Derek stared. “Do you not see the dead bodies out there? This isn’t a game. This isn’t a joke. This is serious.”   
  
“I know that,” Rodriguez sighed. “I can see the blood on your clothes. I can see the dead bodies, I can see how they died. I understand. Believe me, I understand more than any of the other officers do. But, this is what I’ve been waiting my entire life for. If you say no, I’ll still be around anyway, and I’ll have a gun or two. If I die, I’d love to go out fighting, defending my town, as a werewolf. I’ve always dreamed of that.”   
  
“You’ve always wanted to die as a werewolf?” Stiles asked.   
  
“Not literally. I just meant... I don’t know how to say it.”   
  
“Just so you know,” Stiles said, “werewolves don’t go to Heaven. They go to Purgatory, and it’s not a fun place.”   
  
Rodriguez shrugged. “There’s nothing for me in Heaven anyway. I was adopted, so I don’t know my family. My foster parents and I never really got along. I don’t have anyone to see when I get there.”   
  
“Okay,” Derek said. “We’ll give you the bite.”   
  
“Really?”   
  
“Yeah, if you really want it. You need to understand there’s no going back after this. You become --”   
  
“A part of the pack,” Rodriguez finished. “I know. I’m fine with that.”   
  
“Okay. Go ahead, Stiles.”   
  
“Me? Why not you?”   
  
“Because your bites takes instantly, and mine doesn’t. We don’t have the time to wait around.”   
  
“Wait, what?” Chris Argent said. He had been eavesdropping from near some of the bodies, pretending to help the officers. “Your bites turn others instantly? That’s not possible.”   
  
“Yeah, well, apparently I’m a Super Werewolf,” Stiles boasted. “So I can do that.”   
  
“How would you know, though? Last I checked, it took Danny a while for his bite to take.”   
  
“I didn’t bite Danny,” Stiles said. “Derek did. I bit --” Stiles didn’t even need Derek to nudge or growl. He just shut up.   
  
“Yes?”   
  
The Winchesters arrived, Dean expertly maneuvering the Impala through the throng of cop cars and parking next to the Camaro.    
  
“Oh look, pizza’s here!” Stiles exclaimed, getting up and briskly walking away from Chris’s glare.   
  
“Who did he bite, Derek?”   
  
Derek remained silent, refusing to meet Chris’ gaze. Chris’ face hardened and he turned toward Allison and screeched, “ _Allison._ ”   
  
Allison pretended she didn’t hear him, and instead, kept talking to Scott.    
  
“Allison, I know you heard me. _Look at me._ ”   
  
Allison groaned and looked at her father. “Yeah, Dad?”   
  
“Did. Stiles. Bite you?”   
  
“I’m not going to answer that.”   
  
“You just did.” Chris turned and stormed after Stiles. Derek scrambled up and followed.    
  
“Hey Dean! Did you get the pizza?”   
  
“Yeah, Cas has them,” Dean said, jerking his head in Castiel’s direction. He had a stack of four pizzas boxes in his hands. “Hey Argent.”   
  
Stiles turned just in time. Chris grabbed his neck and slammed him against the Impala and snarled, “ _Why_ did you bite her? WHY?!”   
  
“Hey hey! Don’t hurt my Baby!”   
  
“Dad! Stop it!”   
  
“Because she asked me to. If you want to know why she wanted it, you need to ask her that, not me.”   
  
“Chris, you need to let go of him,” Derek warned. Chris pulled out his gun and placed the muzzle on Stiles’ forehead and cocked the trigger. “Tell me. Why did you do it? The agreement we made was that she would _not_ be turned. Why did you break it?!”   
  
“Whoa,” Sam spoke. “Let’s all calm down here. What’s going on?”   
  
“This motherfucker,” Chris snarled, “bit my daughter. She’s a werewolf now. I expressly forbade them from doing that.”   
  
“Actually, you only said Derek couldn’t turn her. You never said anything about me.”   
  
“Are you trying to get me to pull the trigger?”   
  
“Stiles, shut up,” Derek ordered. “I’m sorry, Chris. I didn’t want them to do this. But it happened. We can’t dwell on this. We don’t have the luxury to do that. Not now. Chris, put down the gun.”   
  
Another gun cocked, this one was aimed right for Chris’ head.   
  
“Let go of my son, right now. Or I will fire.”   
  
Chris didn’t budge. Melissa stood on the porch with a concerned look, watching the fiasco unfold. Behind her, the rest of the pack had jumped up, some of them extending their claws. Allison ran through all of them and grabbed the railing and shouted, “Dad! Stop it! I asked him to do it! If you’re going to be mad at someone, be mad at me, not him! I asked for it! I wanted it!”   
  
“Let go, _now_ ,” the Sheriff commanded.    
  
Stiles refused to back down from Chris’ glare. Instead, he responded to the challenge. “Let me go,” he growled as he stared right into Chris’ eyes.    
  
“You turned my daughter into a werewolf. You expect me to just accept that? _No._ I am not going to just accept that. You’re going to pay for that.”   
  
The Sheriff pressed the muzzle of his gun into Chris’ temple. “Last warning. Release him, or we’ll be burning your body with the rest.”   
  
Chris slowly turned his head to face the Sheriff and opened his mouth. Before he could speak, however, Stiles pushed Chris’ gun upwards. Chris’ first reaction was to pull the trigger. He missed and the bullet punctured a tree. Stiles shoved Chris with the other hand and Chris flew backwards several yards and crashed against the ground, the gun clattering out of his reach. Chris clutched his chest and groaned in pain.   
  
“I’m sorry, Mr. Argent,” Stiles said. “But you need to deal with it. Killing me would be the worst thing you can do. You need me if you want to survive this war.”   
  
Stiles walked around the Impala to where Castiel was standing, took the pizza boxes from him, and walked over to the porch where the pack were all staring at him.   
  
“Dinner! Lydia eats first, then Scott and Danny.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“What’s taking him so long?” Melly grumbled.    
  
“I don’t know,” Josh said. “He should be here soon.”   
  
The Alpha Council, sans Johnny, were sitting at the table, waiting. Their meeting had started an hour ago.    
  
“Can we just go ahead and start? We can fill him in later,” Zoe asked.   
  
“I agree,” Boomer said. After nobody objected, Boomer resumed. “Our explosives took out all three of the Argents’ SUVs. We killed most of the hunters, but the Argents managed to survive. I don’t know how. The woman is in the hospital, though. Critical condition.”   
  
“Good start,” Zoe applauded. “What about the Winchesters?”   
  
“Nothing. My men saw them at the scene. Car’s intact.”   
  
“Defective bomb?” Josh suggested.   
  
Boomer growled. “We don’t make defective bombs. They found it. I don’t know how, but they did.”   
  
Melly shrugged. “We still cut their numbers by more than half, so I’d say it’s a win.”   
  
Josh nodded in agreement. “Yes, this is a good start. I think we should think about going public next. Announcing our presence, and --”   
  
Boomer stood up abruptly. The rest of the Alphas followed his gaze to the treeline -- Johnny stumbled out, naked, followed by the remains of his pack. The Betas were covered with blood, some of it their own but most of it belonged to their pack mates and the Hales.   
  
“Johnny,” Boomer said as he made his way toward him, “where’s the rest of your pack?”   
  
Johnny fell to his knees. “They’re dead,” he whispered. “I lost them.”   
  
The other Alphas got up and joined Boomer just as Boomer knelt down so he was eye-level with Johnny. “What happened? Tell us.”   
  
“They... The Winchesters were there. The Alpha... he’s strong. Too strong. Stronger than any of us, including you, Boomer,” Johnny said as he finally shed tears. “The pack feeds off them both. They’re too strong.”   
  
“Fuck,” Zoe cursed. “I knew we should have killed Hale the moment we had our opportunity.”   
  
“No,” Johnny said. “Not Hale. The boy, Stilinski.”   
  
“What?” Josh demanded. “The boy? What about him?”   
  
“He’s stronger than Hale is. I’ve never fought anyone as strong as him.”   
  
“No, that’s impossible,” Zoe said. “No Alpha that young can possibly be that strong. You must have confused the two of them.”   
  
“ _No,_ ” Johnny growled. “I didn’t. Ask my pack, what’s left of them. They saw him. _Ask them!_ ”   
  
Zoe swallowed then looked at the six Betas that were heaving behind Johnny.    
  
One of them said, “He’s right. It’s the Stilinski boy.”   
  
“And the Winchesters!” Johnny added. “One of my men killed one of them. I saw the blood. I saw his throat, it was shredded. He was dead.”   
  
“Good,” Melly said.   
  
“Then, he got up. His throat was normal. He was alive again,” Johnny gulped. “The rumors are true, they don’t stay dead.”   
  
“Fuck,” Zoe whispered.   
  
“Are you sure that’s what you saw?” Josh questioned.   
  
The same Beta replied, “Yeah, that’s what happened. I saw Zane rip his throat out. I heard his heartbeat stop. He was dead.”   
  
“We underestimated the wrong group,” Johnny said. “The Argents are a joke. The Hales... we should have gone after them first.”   
  
“How many of them are left?” Melly asked.   
  
Johnny laughed then choked. “All of them.”   
  
“ _All of them?!_ ” Zoe shrieked. “How many did you lose?”   
  
“Twenty-one,” the Beta replied.   
  
“God damn it,” Josh cursed, walking back to the table. Zoe and Melly followed him, both of them muttering, leaving Boomer and Johnny alone.    
  
“My pack...” Johnny whispered. Boomer pulled him to his chest and held him tight. Johnny’s muscles went limp and he sobbed.    
  
“It’s going to be okay,” Boomer said. “I’m going to kill them all.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“It shouldn’t hurt for too long,” Stiles said as he bit down on Rodriguez’s hip. The Winchesters, Castiel, and the pack gathered in curiosity. The Sheriff, Melissa, and Chris all had departed with the officers and the bodies. The Sheriff made sure Chris was riding in a different car than his own.   
  
Rodriguez groaned. Stiles let go and stepped back, watching.    
  
Rodriguez waited. Then the pain hit him and he screamed, clutching the bite mark. The crowd watched as the teeth marks dissipated into skin. His dark brown eyes glowed turquoise. As the pain faded, so did his scream.   
  
“That was intense,” he said. “Is that it? Am I a were-- oh wow. That’s amazing,” he remarked. He sniffed the air and turned his head toward various sounds. “Unbelievable. This is perfect. Wow.”   
  
“That did take a little fast,” Sam commented. “A little too fast, maybe.”    
  
Stiles shrugged then smiled. “I’m a mutant. And a werewolf. Call me... Super Werewolf!”   
  
Everyone stared.   
  
“Oh come on, have a sense of humor. Okay fine, Super Werewolf is lame, but I don’t hear any of you coming up with a name.”   
  
“You’re a mutant?” Danny raised an eyebrow.   
  
“Yeah. Dr. Deaton told me. Something about my mom’s family, I don’t know exactly what, but I’m a mutant. And it made me a... super werewolf,” Stiles finished lamely. “Don’t ask me!”   
  
“You’re kidding me, right?” Scott asked.    
  
“No. Ask Derek.”   
  
Derek nodded. Scott gaped at Stiles. “You lucky bastard.”   
  
“What are you talking about? You’re a werewolf! You’re a lucky bastard too!”   
  
Scott opened then closed his mouth and scowled. Stiles rolled his eyes then checked on Rodriguez, making sure he was okay. After Rodriguez affirmed he was okay, Stiles asked Derek, “Hey, could we go up in your room? I kind of want to talk to you about something.”   
  
Derek nodded and they went up into Derek’s room. The Winchesters and Castiel went into the kitchen for some leftover pizza. Allison went outside and sat down on the porch, followed by Scott and Rodriguez. Scott sat down with Allison and Rodriguez stood out in the middle of the clearing, reveling in the sounds and smells of nature.   
  
Jackson plopped down on a chair and laid his head against the top of the chair. “Hey Danny,” he said. “You talked with Castiel, right? Did you find out why?”   
  
“Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Castiel says you remind him of a younger Dean. Like, a Dean that hadn’t gone through all that crap he went through,” Danny said as he sat next to Jackson. Lydia took the third seat and crossed her arms on the table and rested her head on it.   
  
“Oh. Okay.”   
  
“Also, I’m pretty sure Castiel is in love with Dean.”   
  
“Really?” Lydia asked. “An angel in love with a human? That’s cool.”   
  
“I asked him if he was, but I don’t think he really sees it. It’s obvious they feel something for each other, but I don’t know if either of them realize it. I don’t blame Castiel, I mean -- he’s an angel, but I don’t understand why Dean doesn’t do anything about it.”   
  
“Are you sure Dean’s in love with Castiel? I mean, I’ve never smelt any arousal coming from him. At least, not enough to indicate love.”   
  
“Yeah, I’m sure. I mean, they practically have eye sex every time they look at each other.”   
  
“Okay, I did notice that,” Lydia agreed. “I just didn’t think much of it.”   
  
“I want to, like, smack Dean in the back of his head and tell him to go profess his love. I don’t know why --”   
  
“He’s afraid.”   
  
“What?   
  
“He’s afraid,” Jackson repeated. “You guys remember what he said to me that morning?”   
  
Lydia and Danny nodded. “You guys weren’t sitting there, though. You didn’t see the pain in his eyes. You didn’t smell his emotions,” Jackson continued. “I could smell him, it was so strong, I could _feel_ what he felt. He’s afraid.”   
  
“Of what?” Danny asked.   
  
“To open up. To love. He thinks if he lets himself love again, he’ll lose them. So he won’t do it.”   
  
“Wow, Jackson,” Lydia said, “that’s deep. I didn’t know you were capable of depth.”   
  
Jackson rolled his eyes. “I’m not Scott, okay?”   
  
“I think you’re right,” Danny said. “He is afraid. Maybe we should --”   
  
Dean and Sam entered the room and the trio shut up. They watched Dean.   
  
“You guys okay?” Dean asked, raising an eyebrow. Jackson nodded but the other two remained silent. “Uhh, okay. Right. Not going to ask,” Dean said. Castiel jogged, catching up. He had a pizza hanging out of his mouth.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“You okay?”   
  
Allison sighed. “I don’t know if Dad’s ever going to forgive me. Or Stiles.”   
  
“Maybe try explaining to him why you made the choice you did.”   
  
“I’m not sure if I should.”   
  
“Why not?”   
  
“Well. First of all, I’m not sure they’d even believe me. I mean, werewolves is one thing, but Heaven? Purgatory? That’s on a completely different level.”   
  
“Good point. But your dad did overhear Stiles tell Rodriguez about Purgatory.”   
  
“Oh yeah. Although, I’m not sure they even want to know. I mean, if they did believe me, then they’re going to know that their daughter will never go to Heaven with them.”   
  
“True. You made your choice, though. Do you regret it?”   
  
“No, not at all.”   
  
“Then you can’t worry about it too much. All you can do now is wait for him to accept it. You can’t really do anything else.”   
  
“Yeah, you’re right. Still, though. He’s my father. And I can’t even imagine what my Mom’s going to say. She might come here and kill us all herself.”   
  
“Yeah, true.” Scott agreed. “Your mom scares the shit out of me.”   
  
“She scares me too and she’s _my_ Mom.”   
  
Scott chuckled. Allison rested her head on his shoulder, looking out at the woods, watching Rodriguez have his nature freak out.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Victoria Argent was lying on her hospital bed, her eyes closed. Chris was sitting nearby, silently crying. His fingers were entwined between hers.   
  
“I don’t know what to do, Victoria. What am I supposed to do now?”   
  
Victoria stirred. She opened her eyes and blinked. “Chris?”   
  
“Victoria?” Chris tried his best to give her a heartwarming smile, but the tears betrayed him.    
  
“Stop crying, Chris. I’m fine.”   
  
“I know you are,” Chris said.   
  
“Then why are you crying?”   
  
Chris stammered; too many words wanted to come out and none did.    
  
“What? What is it? Is it Allison? Is she okay?” Victoria panicked.    
  
“She’s fine,” Chris reassured. “But...”   
  
“What?”   
  
“You’re not going to like it.”   
  
“Just tell me.”   
  
Chris sighed. He reached with his other hand and enclosed Victoria’s hand between his palms. He whispered, “She’s been bitten.”   
  
Victoria stared. She cleared her throat.   
  
“What?”   
  
“She’s a werewolf now.”   
  
“But,” Victoria protested. “Derek gave us his promise he wouldn’t turn her. He said he wouldn’t do it.”   
  
“It wasn’t Derek.”   
  
“One of the Alphas from the Council did it?”   
  
“No. It was Stiles.”   
  
“ _Stiles?_ What?”   
  
“Allison asked him to. I didn’t get a chance to ask her why. I kind of pulled a gun on him. In front of maybe fifteen cops, including his father.”   
  
Victoria groaned. “Jeez, Chris.”   
  
“Victoria, Stiles is not a normal werewolf. He’s something different.”   
  
“What do you mean?”   
  
“He said the bite he gave Allison turned her instantly. Like, within a minute. And, he gave me this,” Chris said, lifting his shirt to show a purple hand-shaped bruise in the middle of his chest. “He is _really_ strong. He didn’t even punch me, he _shoved_ me.”   
  
Victoria analyzed the bruise. It was perfectly formed and it was a deep shade of purple, almost black.    
  
“That doesn’t sound good. Does that hurt?”   
  
“Yeah, but I’ll live.”   
  
“Good.” Victoria stated. She reached and wiped Chris’ tears away and smiled. “So, if you pulled a gun on the Sheriff’s kid with fifteen cops around, how are you not in jail?”   
  
“Well. They probably figured they needed me, since the war has started.”   
  
“So, we’ve confirmed it was them who set the bombs?”   
  
“I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about the twenty dead werewolves the cops had to pick off the Hale property.”   
  
“ _What?_ What the hell happened?”   
  
“One of the Alphas and his pack went down to the Hales and tried to kill them all. He ended up losing almost his entire pack.”   
  
“What happened to the Hales?”   
  
“They survived. I don’t know how, but all of them survived. The Winchesters were there too. I’m sure they helped, but I still don’t see how none of them died.”   
  
“Aren’t packs stronger when they’re with each other? And with their Alpha?”   
  
“Yeah,” Chris affirmed.    
  
“And the Hales have _two_ Alphas and one them is apparently a really strong one? That might have something to do with it. Enhanced their strength or something like that. However it works.”   
  
“Huh, you’re right. I don’t know why I realize that.”   
  
“That’s what you have me for,” Victoria smiled.    
  
“I love you,” Chris sighed. “I love you too,” Victoria replied.   
  
“I’m still going to kill Stiles.”   
  
“No, you’re not,” Victoria objected. “Not yet, anyway. We’re going to give him a stern talking to, but for now, we owe them.”   
  
“We owe them? What?”   
  
“We would all be dead if it wasn’t for them. We have no way of standing up to five packs. We need them.”   
  
Chris groaned.    
  
“Lydia pulled me out of the car, didn’t she? I remember that much. She risked her life to save me and she didn’t need to do that. At the very least, we owe it to them to listen to their explanation. We need to talk to Allison.”   
  
“Yeah, we do.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles sat down on the mattress on the floor, looking up at Derek.  
  
“Sit down, please?”  
  
Derek sat down next to Stiles. “What’s it?”  
  
“I’m just curious about something. You’ve been saying we’re mates, right?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Are we really mates?”  
  
“What do you mean? Yes, you’re my mate.”  
  
“No, I know that. I just meant... are we officially mates? Like, I did some research earlier and well, isn’t there supposed to be like... a bite? That you’re supposed to give me?” Stiles sheepishly asked, avoiding Derek’s eyes.  
  
Derek smiled. “Yeah, there is.”  
  
“So... did I miss that? Did you already give me that bite?”  
  
“No, I haven’t. And it’s not simply a bite. There’s more to it.”  
  
“Like what?”  
  
“Sex,” Derek deadpanned.  
  
“Oh. Okay.”  
  
“Why did you ask?”  
  
“I don’t know. I mean, I love you. I want to be your mate, for real. With everything that’s happening, I don’t know. I just thought it’d be nice if we could have that connection mates have. Mates have a connection right?”  
  
“Yeah. How are you know all this?”  
  
“I have my methods,” Stiles cryptically said. Derek chuckled. “Right, you and your Google.”  
  
“Derek, why didn’t you tell me about all this? About the bite and all that? I thought you wanted me to be your mate.”  
  
“I do. I promise you that, Stiles. I do.”  
  
“Then why didn’t you say anything? Why haven’t you told me?”  
  
“Because it involves sex and your father said he would kill me if we had sex, remember?”  
  
“Ahh, right,” Stiles nodded sadly.  
  
“That’s not the only reason, though,” Derek said. Stiles looked at him expectantly, his eyes begging for him to continue. “I also didn’t want to pressure you into making that decision.”  
  
“But I --”  
  
“No, listen, Stiles. I love you, and you love me. We both know that. And you _are_ my mate. But actually becoming mates is a huge step. It’s not something we can go back from. Once we’re mates, we’ll be mates for life. If one of us dies, the other will feel like half of him is gone, and nothing will ever fill that hole.  
  
“It’s a huge step and I won’t force you into that. I wanted you to bring it up on your own, because I wanted you to think about it on your own. This isn't an easy decision.”  
  
“Maybe not..., but it is.”  
  
Derek looked surprised. “What do you mean?”  
  
“Derek, like you said, we’re mates. I mean, I’ve had a crush on Lydia since forever, but ever since that night you told me you loved me, I haven’t even thought about her. At least, not as anything more than friends. I don’t think about anyone else. I think about you, and only you.” Stiles swallowed. “I’ve literally tried jerking off and thinking about someone else -- anyone else, but I can’t. I always go back to you.”  
  
Derek smirked. “Stiles --”  
  
“Derek, shut up," Stiles said, blushing slightly. "Let me finish. I love you. I want us to be mates. Officially. I don’t want to be with anyone else. Only you. I don’t care if I end up with a huge hole in my heart in the future, as long as it means I’m with you.”  
  
“Are you sure? There’s no --”  
  
“Going back,” Stiles finished. “I know. I’m sure. 100%.”  
  
“Okay,” Derek grinned. “Okay, Stiles. We’ll do it.” Derek got up and offered his hand to Stiles.  
  
“What are you doing?”  
  
“Helping you up?”  
  
“I’m not going anywhere. Neither are you. We’re doing it now.”  
  
Derek’s eyebrows went up as high as they could. “ _Now?_ ”  
  
“Yeah, now. I don’t want to wait any longer.”  
  
“What about your --”  
  
“Fuck Dad. How is he going to find out, anyway? Even if he does, I don’t care. I want this. I need this.”  
  
“Okay then,” Derek’s lips curved mischievously. Derek got down on his knees and spread open Stiles’ legs and leaned into him, pushing him flat onto the bed. Stiles beamed and grabbed Derek’s face and pulled him in for a kiss. Derek pulled up Stiles’ shirt, broke off the kiss, and pulled the shirt off. Stiles returned the favor, tossing Derek’s shirt away.  
  
“How does this work, anyway?” Stiles asked nervously. “Do we just... bite? How do --”  
  
“The wolf will know. We bite at the hip, like always,” Derek whispered, unbuttoning his jeans. Stiles swiftly pulled his shorts and boxers down, but couldn’t take them off completely as Derek was still in between his legs. Derek took them off for him. Then, Derek got up and dropped his jeans and kicked them off, along with his shoes and socks. He pulled Stiles’ shoes and socks off and tossed them aside. Derek reached over to a dresser and pulled out some lube then closed the drawer.  
  
“No condom?”  
  
“Not for this.”  
  
“Right.”  
  
Derek got back on his knees and his boxers were the only article of cloth remaining. He pressed against Stiles’ body, grinding slightly, kissing Stiles’ neck. He licked from the collarbone all the way up to Stiles’ lips and bit down on his lower lip and pulled, eliciting a moan from Stiles’ throat. Derek let go then planted kisses down Stiles’ chest, making his way to his hip.  
  
“You ready?”  
  
“Yeah, do it.”  
  
Derek‘s teeth enlarged and they looked strangely different than they usually did. He bit down, and even the pain was different - this pain was subdued and had a slight undertone of pleasure. Stiles groaned, rubbing his hand through Derek’s hair. Derek unlatched himself then picked himself up, kneeling upright. He brought his hip forward, offering it.   
  
Stiles could feel his wolf growling. _Mate... mate... matematemate._ Stiles slid Derek’s boxers lower and opened his mouth. He could feel his teeth grow. _MatematemateMATEMATE_ , his wolf screamed. Stiles chomped down on Derek and Derek moaned, pushing Stiles down on his skin hard. Immediately after letting go, Stiles was pushed down to his back and Derek shimmied his boxers off as his mouth explored Stiles’ body.    
  
Derek blindly fumbled for the lube he had put aside, found it, and popped open the cap. He pushed apart Stiles’ legs even further, squeezing the contents of the bottle all over his cock and pushed out the rest onto Stiles.  
  
Their lips never stopped working. Stiles moaned as Derek left teeth marks on his neck, cheeks, lips. You name it, it was marked. Derek pulled away, panting. He gazed into Stiles’ eyes and their lips met as Derek pushed into him. Stiles groaned from the pain -- there was no preparation. Derek moaned into Stiles’ lips, masking his groans. Once Derek was fully inside, the pain dissipated.   
  
Neither of them lasted long. The sex didn’t belong to just them; their wolves joined in as well. As Derek and Stiles moaned and growled, their matching bites began to mend slowly. When Derek and Stiles’ orgasms came to a simultaneous climax, the bites were completely gone and their wolves growled in pleasure.   
  
Stiles opened his eyes, his purple irises shining radiantly, just like Derek’s crimson ones. Stiles gasped as he felt the presence of Derek’s wolf crawl into him and curled itself around his own wolf.   
  
“I -- I can _feel_ you,” Stiles gasped. He wrapped his legs around Derek’s waist and hugged tightly, pulling him as close to himself as he could. Derek moaned, pushing himself into Stiles as hard as possible.   
  
Together; Derek, Stiles, and their wolves, they howled.


	7. Their Plan

# Chapter Six

  
The wooden boards of the house started vibrating.    
  
“What the hell?” Dean said, looking as bewildered as Sam and Castiel were.    
  
Jackson, Lydia and Danny bolted of their seats and stood upright, staring at the top of the stairs. Jackson’s eyes glowed light blue and Danny’s eyes burned wildfire green. Lydia’s naturally green eyes were eclipsed by the honey-colored irises of her wolf. Scott, Allison, and Rodriguez burst into the house, all of their eyes glowing as well.   
  
“What the hell is going on?” Sam asked.   
  
“They’re mating,” Lydia said.   
  
“They’re fucking? That’s great. Can you get them to turn down the volume, though?” Dean said, wincing at the pitch of the howls.    
  
“No, this isn’t just fucking,” Lydia said. “They’re _mating_. They’re claiming each other as mates.” She looked at her pack mates. “Do you guys feel that?”   
  
They nodded. “I can feel them. They’re... _becoming_ one, it almost feels like,” Danny said curiously.    
  
“How Yoda of you,” Jackson replied.    
  
“Yuck,” Scott sputtered. “I don’t want to think of or hear Stiles having sex. Yuck yuck.”   
  
“Now you know how Stiles feels whenever you talk to him about your sex life,” Lydia said, staring at him. Scott harrumphed and turned away from Lydia’s gaze, burrowing himself into Allison.   
  
Slowly, the vibrations ceased as the Alphas’ howls died out. Dead silence filled the house.    
  
“You guys okay?” Lydia shouted.   
  
“Yeah. We’re fine.” Derek’s voice said. “Carry on.”   
  
Lydia sniggered and sat down once again, followed by Jackson. Scott and Allison joined them at the table, leaving Danny and Rodriguez standing. Rodriguez glanced at the table and seemed to be pondering something, his brow slightly scrunched up. He took one of the remaining seats. Danny was alone, glued to the same spot.   
  
“Danny. I’m not smelling what I think I’m smelling, am I?” Jackson muttered. Danny shifted uneasily. The rest of the Betas sniffed the air, then Lydia and Allison giggled and Scott and Rodriguez looked at each other, shrugging.   
  
“Just pretend you’re not a werewolf for the next five minutes,” Danny sheepishly said. He took a seat and turtled his head into his neck, trying to hide. The pack resumed their conversations.   
  
Dean stared at them then turned to Castiel and Sam. He mouthed, “What the fuck?”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Finally got him to sleep,” Boomer sighed. He pulled back his chair and sat down. “He’s a mess.”   
  
Melly rolled her eyes. Boomer glared at her.     
  
“So, what’s the next step?” Zoe asked.   
  
“The Hales are our biggest obstacle, but it’ll be easier to deal with them as long as we eliminate their help. We need to finish the rest of the hunters off,” Josh said.    
  
“The Argents shouldn’t be a problem,” Boomer said. “The Winchesters, on the other hand...”   
  
“Just blow them up,” Melly said. “Grab them, strap a bomb on their chest and blow them up. Let’s see them come back from that.”   
  
Boomer shrugged. “Sounds like our best shot.”   
  
“Okay. I’ll send some of my Betas to pick them up,” Zoe said.   
  
“Good,” Josh said. “What about the Hales? Should we go after them, or go public? Force the people of Beacon Hills to choose between us and them?”   
  
“Wouldn’t they pick them?” Melly asked.   
  
“If we show them our numbers and strength, no, they won’t. Not unless they want to die.”   
  
“I still think we should go after the Hales,” Melly said. “Two Alphas this time, and a pack. That should be enough. Any one of us would do a better job than Johnny did.” She scoffed. “Pathetic. I can’t believe he didn’t even take any of them out.”   
  
Zoe and Boomer narrowed their eyes. Oblivious, Melly continued, “I would have done a much better job than he did. I should have gone instead. Johnny shouldn’t be on this council, he --”   
  
Boomer furiously slammed his fist on the table and roared, “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” The other Alphas, especially Melly, drew back in shock. “He just lost three-fourths of his pack. If you had gone down there, the same thing would have happened to you. You would not have done a better job. _Show some fucking respect._ ” Boomer finished, growling intensely.   
  
“Calm down, Boomer, please,” Josh said. “Melly, he’s right. We underestimated the Hales, all of us. Not just Johnny. _All of us_.”   
  
Melly scowled. Boomer folded his arms and looked away from Melly and stared at the table.    
  
“Okay. Zoe, you’ll pick up the Winchesters. Don’t do anything until they’re alone, however. We don’t want to get the Hales involved unnecessarily. Once we have the Winchesters, we go public. Show them all who we are and what we want. Expose them to the Hales. Then, to show them we mean business, we should blow up the Winchesters in front of them.”   
  
“Won’t that just scare them off instead?” Zoe said. “Especially since they know the Hales.”   
  
“No, it shouldn’t _scare_ them -- the Winchesters aren’t locals. None of townspeople have any attachments to them. It should, however, _intimidate_ them. That’s what we want,” Josh replied. “Boomer, I think we should plant bombs in the Argents’ house while we’re going public. The house should be empty then. That way, when they’re inside, we can detonate it and that should be the end of them.”   
  
“Done,” Boomer said.   
  
Zoe said, “I think you should also go with them. Just in case. We can’t fuck up anymore.”   
  
“No.”   
  
“Boomer,” Josh said, “I think Zoe is right. We can’t afford --”   
  
“One of you guys should go with my men, then. If our goal is intimidation, then I should be there. None of you can intimidate them as well as I can. They need to just look at me and they’ll be scared shitless.”   
  
“Point taken,” Josh conceded. “Either of you volunteering, or should I?”   
  
“I’ll do it,” Melly said. Boomer glowered at her. Melly’s smile was ugly and spoke of her underlying intentions.    
  
“Fine. We’re agreed, then. Zoe, pick up the Winchesters as soon as you can.”   
  
Zoe nodded and left the table. Boomer got up and followed suit, but not before shooting Melly an murderous look.   
  
“Boys,” Melly rolled her eyes.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Yeah. We’re fine. Carry on,” Derek said. He was still on top of Stiles, both of them breathing hard.   
  
“That was a lot more intense than how my parents described it,” Derek said.    
  
“You talked to your parents about sex?”   
  
“No! Not sex. Mating. That’s different.”   
  
“I’m not sure it’s _that_ different,” Stiles said, smirking. “Shut up, Stiles,” Derek replied, kissing him. He buried his head into Stiles’ neck and remained there, nipping at the skin occasionally. Stiles unwrapped his legs and laid them down besides Derek’s legs and sighed blissfully. He searched for the sheets and pulled them over Derek.   
  
Derek tried to move off Stiles, but Stiles stopped him. “No, Derek. Don’t. Stay here. I don’t want to let you go. Not for a long time. Let’s just sleep like this. Please.”   
  
“I wasn’t going anywhere, I was just going to lie next to you.”   
  
“I don’t care, stay here.”   
  
“Okay,” Derek smiled. He dug his hands under Stiles and wrapped them around his back. “This okay?” Stiles grabbed the pillows and fluffed them before pulling them under his neck and head. “Yeah, it’s fine,” Stiles said as he tangled his legs with Derek’s.   
  
“Tell me if you’re uncomfortable,” Derek said. “I’m not. This is perfect, I promise. I can breathe and all that.” Derek chuckled and gave Stiles an Eskimo kiss before kissing his forehead and resting his head on the pillow, his cheek rubbing against Stiles.   
  
Stiles felt absolute warmth. Physically, of course, considering he had a personal heater in Derek on top of him, but also emotionally. The presence of Derek within himself was like a giant bonfire had been lit in the center of his being. Stiles was sure he would never feel the winds of coldness again.   
  
Stiles’ hands massaged Derek’s back and worked their way down to the cheeks of his butt, squeezing and pulling at it.    
  
“Stop that,” Derek whispered. Stiles lightly slapped a cheek and Derek growled. Laughing, Stiles said, “I love you.”   
  
“I love you too.”   
  
The two of them fell asleep and neither moved a muscle until the morning.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The morning sun peeked out just below the horizon, casting a burning orange hue upon the sky. Sitting on the trunk of the Impala, Sam was staring at the contrasting colors of the trees and the sky.    
  
_How do I convince Dean? How do I make him see? I don’t know what to do. I hate seeing him so broken._   
  
Sam sighed. He buried his head into his hands, rubbing vigorously.    
  
_If he keeps this up, eventually, he’ll stop coming back. I can’t lose him again._   
  
“Hey, Sam.”   
  
Sam looked up. “Hey Cas.”   
  
“Can I sit down?”   
  
“Yeah, sure,” Sam said as he scooted over to make room for Castiel. “Where’s Dean?”   
  
“I think he just woke up, but he’s pretending he’s still asleep.”   
  
Sam nodded then looked at the sky again. Castiel sat down, looking at Sam. After a few awkward minutes of silence, Castiel said, “Sam, can I ask you something?”   
  
“Yeah?”   
  
“Do you think it’s possible for angels to love humans?”   
  
“Yeah, sure, why not? Aren’t you guys supposed to love anyway? Isn’t that what God told you guys to do?”   
  
“I don’t mean that kind of love. I mean... _love_. Being in love. Like the Pizza Man.”   
  
“Oh,” Sam paused, internally chuckling at the memory. “I have no idea. Maybe. I don’t see why not. Angels may be soldiers, but from what I’ve seen, they’re not clones. Each angel has a personality of their own, right?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“You’re your own person then, so yeah. It could be possible.”   
  
Castiel nodded. He looked at the sun. “The sunrise is beautiful.” Sam nodded in agreement, wondering why Castiel had asked him such an odd question. A light bulb went off. Sam’s eyes widened slightly and he asked, “Cas, why did you ask me that?”   
  
Castiel looked down at the ground. “I... Danny told me that he thought I was in love with Dean.”   
  
Everything clicked. Castiel pulling Dean out of Hell, the time they spent in Purgatory, the ~~eyefucking~~ looks they’ve shared, their “profound bond,” everything. Especially how Castiel just shut down when that werewolf slashed Dean’s throat.   
  
“I'm not sure what he meant, but --.”   
  
Sam laughed. Castiel frowned. “Why is this funny?”   
  
“I’m sorry, Cas. It’s just... I can’t believe I didn’t see this earlier. I should have. God, there’s no fucking excuse. How did I not see this?”   
  
“What?”   
  
“Dean is in love with you.”   
  
“He is?”   
  
“Yeah, he is. He’s just really shitty at expressing his feelings, especially the way he is now. This might just be the thing that convinces him to start living again.”   
  
“I don’t know what to do. I’ve never known love. I don’t understand it.”   
  
“Cas, how do you feel about him?”   
  
Castiel furrowed his brow. “I...,” he hesitated. Once he started, however, he didn’t stop. “I don’t want to see him hurt. I don’t like seeing him in emotional pain. I feel... _better_ when I’m around him. If I could, I would take all of his pain away. I want to make him happy. I want to protect him. I would die for him. I care about you too, but it’s different with him. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I pulled him from Hell. Maybe it’s because I’ve been with him longer than I’ve been with you. I don’t know.    
  
“I would die for him, though. I can’t watch him die anymore. It hurts me when he’s hurt... right here,” he pointed to his chest. “I don’t understand what I’m feeling.”   
  
“Cas, that’s love,” Sam said. “You’re in love.”   
  
“Why does it hurt so much, then? I thought love was supposed to be a good thing,” Castiel asked, his pain obvious in his eyes.   
  
“Because no matter how much time you’ve spent together, it’s a one-sided love. Neither of you have acknowledged each other. Love doesn’t work that way. It becomes so much better when you both embrace it, when you both love each other. Right now, you love him and he loves you, but you don’t love each other. Not yet, anyway.”   
  
“What am I supposed to do, then?”   
  
“You don’t need to worry about that. We need to worry about Dean, he needs to admit it to himself first. He needs to want to live.”   
  
The front door of the Hale place opened and Dean stepped out. “There you guys are. I’m hungry, let’s go get food.”   
  
“Sounds good,” Sam answered. As Dean walked past him, Sam smiled. And for the first time in a while, Sam’s smile had warmth and hope.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles slowly went down the stairs, hoping everyone else was still asleep. As if. The first face that appeared was Lydia’s. She was smirking and her eyes swept up and down him. He groaned.   
  
“So,” Lydia began, “have fun last night?” Jackson sniggered behind her. Danny was still asleep, and Rodriguez had been summoned to work. Allison and Scott was sitting at the table, Scott’s back to Stiles.    
  
Stiles groaned. “At least I had the most amazing sex ever,” he said. Scott groaned and slapped his hands over his ears. “Never say that again, Stiles. Please.”   
  
Stiles sat down next to Scott and stared at him. “Out of everyone here, _you_ do not get to say that to me. I’ve had to listen to you talk about how everything’s going so _great_ with Allison. It’s _my_ turn.”   
  
Lydia cackled. Scott shot her a glare but Lydia brushed it off with a, “Told you so, Scott.”    
  
Allison laughed and said, “He’s your best friend, isn’t he? Deal with it.” She added a wink and grinned at Stiles. Scott’s forehead thumped against the table.   
  
“So, Stiles, what was it like?”   
  
“Oh come on!” Scott begged. “Couldn’t you at least wait until I’m not here before you ask that question?”   
  
“I’m not asking what sex with Derek is like, idiot,” Lydia snapped. “I’m asking what _mating_ is like.” Scott scowled. “Isn’t it the same thing?”   
  
“No, definitely not,” Stiles said. “How would you know? You were a virgin until last night,” Scott replied. Stiles rolled his eyes and said, “Allison, why are you holding out on him? You guys should have mated by now. Go teach him what mating is like.”   
  
Allison blushed. Scott looked at her. “He’s got a point, why haven’t we done it? I mean, it’s not like we haven’t had sex.”   
  
“I don’t know, you never asked, I guess?”   
  
“Way to go, Scott,” Jackson said sarcastically, as he roused Danny from his sleep. “Hey Danny, Stiles’ about to explain what mating’s like, thought you’d enjoy this conversation.”   
  
Danny was sitting next to Stiles within ten seconds.    
  
“That’s a little creepy, Danny.”   
  
“Excuse me if I got a little turned on last night. It sounded like you guys were having a pretty hot night.” Scott groaned again, pounding his head against the table. Allison pressed Scott’s head down against the table and gestured for Stiles to begin.   
  
“It was... amazing. I don’t know how else to describe it.”   
  
Lydia gaped at Stiles. “That’s it? Fuck no. I demand details.” Another groan escaped Scott, this one muffled by the table.   
  
“Okay, okay! I told him I wanted us to be official mates and he agreed. So we, you know, stripped. He bit me first, then I bit him. The pain was different, it was almost a pleasant pain. That doesn't even make sense, but it was. Then we started...,” he glanced at Scott and bent closer to his ear and whispered, “ _fucking,_ ” Scott let out his loudest groan, “and when we were just about done, I could feel him entering me.”    
  
Scott groaned again.   
  
“Shut the fuck up already, McCall!”   
  
“I didn’t mean it like that, Scott," Stiles said. "He was already inside me, after all," he added, winking at Allison, her laughter overpowering Scott's groan. "I meant his wolf, I could feel the presence of his wolf enter me and, I don’t know, snuggle? Snuggle might be the best word I can think of. He snuggled my wolf. I can still feel him -- and he’s coming.”   
  
Footsteps pounded down the stairs and Derek dropped into view. The pack all turned and stared at him. Derek glowered at them all and said, “Stop staring at me like that.”   
  
“Derek, please tell Stiles to stop,” Scott begged, his face still trapped between Allison’s hand and the table. Derek stared at him then at Allison. “What the fuck are you doing?” Allison cocked her head and smiled.    
  
“I’m educating them on the fine points of mating, and it’s grossing my best friend out,” Stiles explained. Derek smiled evilly and said, “Continue,” and walked into the kitchen.   
  
Scott pushed back against Allison’s hand just long enough to slam his forehead against the table again.   
  
“It’s an amazing feeling, it really is. I can feel Derek in me. I have his warmth inside me. I know how he’s feeling, I know what he wants. I feel so... right. Safe. I don’t know, I feel a lot of things and everything I feel is awesome, but I can’t really put it into words. I highly recommend it.”   
  
“I’m doing it just so I can explain my experience to you in express detail,” Scott muttered. Stiles chuckled, “Go ahead. You’ll understand when you do it.” Then Stiles whispered, “Danny.”   
  
“Shut _up_ , Stiles,” Danny growled, obviously trying to hide something. Stiles grabbed him and pulled him in for a bear hug. “Not helping,” Danny whined. “You’re so adorable,” Stiles teased. Danny narrowed his eyes and growled.    
  
Allison let go of Scott’s head and waited for him to look at her. When he did, she asked, “You really want to do this?” Scott nodded.   
  
“Yeah, I do, Allison.”   
  
“Okay, let’s do it then. Not here! I don’t want anyone overhearing us.”   
  
“Thank god,” Lydia exhaled. “No offense,” she added.    
  
Derek’s voice from the other room reached the pack, “You two better be _absolutely sure_ because there’s no turning back once you claim your mate. Think about it and talk it over when you guys are alone, then decide.”   
  
Stiles got up and went into the kitchen, where Derek was drinking a bottle of water. Stiles strode right up to him and wrapped himself around Derek. Stiles felt his wolf purr with pure happiness. Derek put down the water and returned the hug.   
  
“We turn Danny on, by the way,” Stiles said. Derek smiled and said, “Yeah, I know.”   
  
“I hate you guys!” Danny shouted from the other room. Stiles laughed and Derek chuckled.    
  
“Okay guys! Get outside and start training, especially you, Allison! This is far from over,” Derek shouted. Stiles could hear the chairs scratch against the floor as the pack made their way outside.   
  
“What about you guys?” Lydia asked. “We’ll be there in a few minutes,” Derek replied. Stiles waited until he heard Lydia leave and the front door close.   
  
“Thank you.”   
  
“For what?”   
  
“For doing this. I can’t believe how perfect this feels. I don’t even care if we’re not going to Heaven, this _is_ heaven, Derek.”   
  
Derek sighed happily. “I agree.” He closed his eyes and they stood there, holding each other, neither of them wanting to be the first to break it off.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Castiel was still inside the Diner; he had to use the bathroom. Dean and Sam were outside, standing by the car waiting. Dean was also munching on the remains of his pie. Sam was watching him.   
  
“What do you want? You’ve been eyeballing me weirdly today. What’s it?”   
  
“Nothing. Just figured something out, that’s all,” Sam said cryptically.   
  
Dean rolled his eyes. “Something? Want to fill me in?” Sam’s lips curved up. Dean did not like Sam’s smile. He narrowed his eyes and asked, “What?”   
  
“You. It’s just nice to see you in love with someone.”   
  
Dean choked on his pie. After coughing and swallowing the pie in his mouth, Dean shot Sam a quizzical look. “What the hell are you talking about?”   
  
“Really, Dean, why haven’t you done anything? Usually, you’d get into their pants within the first two hours, but this time? I’m amazed it hasn’t happened yet. Or maybe it has...”   
  
“I’m sorry, who are you talking about? I’m not interested in teenage girls, especially werewolves. You remember the last time one of us fell for a werewolf?”   
  
Sam scowled. “I’m not talking about them. Really, Dean?”   
  
“If this is one of those Sam slash Dean things, I’m going to kill you,” Dean joked.   
  
“No, more like Dean slash Castiel.”   
  
Dean froze. He put down the pie on top of the Impala slowly and said, “What are you talking about?”   
  
“Come on, Dean. It’s me. You can tell me.”   
  
Dean frowned. “I -- I can’t be in love with an angel. He’s an _angel_.”   
  
“Who gives a fuck if he’s an angel or a human? It doesn’t matter! He’s a person. And you know it. You’ve been with him long enough. And he knows it.”   
  
“I don’t -- wait, what do you mean he knows it?”   
  
Sam smirked.    
  
“Sam, what the fuck? Tell me.”   
  
Sam shrugged. “If you want to know, you have to --”   
  
A van screeched to a stop in front of Sam and the side door blew open. A man and a woman grabbed Sam and pulled him toward the van. The eyes of one of the men inside the van shone.    
  
“Sam!”   
  
Dean pulled out his gun from the back of his pants as he ran toward Sam. He aimed at the woman behind Sam and fired. A hole replaced her left eye and she dropped and the other man stumbled over her, but kept his hold on Sam. Dean grabbed Sam and pulled him away from the man, freeing him, and swung his gun to him.   
  
The werewolf with the shining eyes slapped the gun out of his hand, punched him, and pulled him inside the van. Sam pulled out his own gun but the man swung the door shut and the van peeled away from the parking lot, leaving deep black rubber marks on the road.   
  
“DEAN!!”   
  
Several people burst through the Diner door and stood there, watching the van speed down the road. Castiel ran through them all and stopped by Sam and asked, “What happened? Where’s Dean?”   
  
“They took him.”   
  
“Who?”   
  
“The werewolves, they took him,” Sam said.    
  
“Why are we waiting, then? Sam! We need to go!”   
  
“Dean had the keys.”   
  
Castiel groaned. “We need to find him.” Sam said nothing, he kept staring at the spot where the van had disappeared from view.    
  
“Sam!” Castiel shook Sam’s shoulders and Sam snapped out of it. “We need to do something!”   
  
Sam nodded and turned to the people standing by the door. One of them was talking to a cell phone. “Hey, you! Are you calling the Sheriff?”   
  
The man nodded.   
  
“Good. Tell him the Winchesters need him to get here ASAP. Like, right fucking now.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“So, what’s it like?” One of the officers asked. Most of them were standing around Rodriguez, assaulting him with questions. The rest were standing a bit away, glaring at him like they were afraid he’d suddenly jump and tear them into pieces.   
  
“It’s awesome. It’s everything I ever wanted. I can’t even describe what it’s like. I feel the same but I feel different too. I can hear, I can smell, I can do so many things now. I --”   
  
“Rodriguez! Pipe down so we can start this damn meeting.”   
  
“Sorry, Sheriff.”    
  
Rodriguez took his seat and the rest of the officers followed suit. The Sheriff sighed and looked at the men and women sitting.    
  
“Twenty-one dead bodies. All of them werewolves. I hope you guys realize how serious this thing has gotten. This was only a small part of the group that want to take this town over. We need to be more prepared. The only people who can stop them are my son and his friends... and us. We’re officers of the law, and we will protect this town.    
  
“Granted, none of us has ever expected we would need to protect this town from _werewolves_. But, we will. This town counts on us. We will not let this town down.    
  
“We’re going to start patrolling the town every hour of the day, especially around the woods. It’s going to be difficult considering how many of us there are, but it has to be done. I’ve drawn up the pairings up, so you guys will need to look at the paper,” the Sheriff waves the paper he’s referring to, “and see what your schedule looks like.”   
  
One of the officers raised her hand.   
  
“Yes, Evans?”   
  
“Could we enlist the help of the civilians? Just for patrolling purposes. This is rather serious, I think we need to bring in more manpower. The more people, the better our odds are.”   
  
“I’ve thought about this, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea. Who would we turn to? Who would be willing to help us? If we did recruit more people, then they’d need to know what we’re doing, and I don’t know if it’s a good idea telling people that werewolves are about to invade the town.”   
  
“Why not?” Evans challenged. “The civilians have a right to know. They need to know how to defend themselves if a regular bullet isn’t going to cut it. They deserve to --”   
  
The door opened. “Sheriff? We’ve gotten a call. Gunfire at the Diner. A dead body. The caller said to tell you that the Winchesters need you to get there as soon as you can.”   
  
“Fuck,” the Sheriff cursed. “Tell them I’m on my way. Evans, Rodriguez, and Montgomery, with me.”   
  
Rodriguez, Evans, and Montgomery followed the Sheriff out of the room.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The Sheriff parked his car a few feet away from an ambulance, which was parked near the body, its sirens off. The EMTs were standing or sitting around the ambulance, waiting. There was nothing for them to do until the Sheriff released the body into their care.    
  
The Sheriff stared at the body before he turned to Sam and Castiel. “What happened here? Where’s the other one?”   
  
“She’s a werewolf,” Sam began. “The others she came with took Dean. They were trying to take me too, but Dean pulled me away from them.” Sam frowned. “I don’t like this. I don’t understand why they would _take_ us and not try to kill us. They’re planning something, and I really don’t like it. I need you to get the pack over here so they can track the scent of the van.”   
  
“Please hurry,” Castiel added. “We need to find him quickly.”   
  
“Okay, I’ll call them.” The Sheriff took his phone out of his pocket, dialed, and waited.   
  
“Hey Dad, what’s up?”   
  
“Hey. I’m going to need you to come to the Diner. You and your friends.”   
  
“Oh okay. What’s going on?”   
  
“Some of the werewolves have taken one of the Winchesters. We need you guys to track their scent and find them.”   
  
“Oh crap.” Voices in the background. “Okay, we’re coming.”   
  
“Thank you, son.” The Sheriff hung up. “They’re coming. Now, can you tell me exactly what happened?”   
  
“Dean and I were talking, waiting for Cas to come out of the Diner, and they just drove in and they tried to grab me, but Dean shot her and pulled me out of their way and they just took him and left.”   
  
“The car? What did it look like?”   
  
“It was a van. One of those big-ass vans with plenty of space inside, no seats. It was black. No license plates. Nothing else special about it.”   
  
“Okay, thank you.” He pressed the button on his walkie-talkie and spoke into it, “Dispatch, put out an APB on a black full-size van. No license plates. Kidnap victim. Description is --” He turned to Sam. “Give me his description, please.” Sam started to speak but Castiel interrupted, “He’s 33 years old, six foot and three inches tall, 175 pounds, brown hair and the color of his eyes is a mix of emerald and peacock. Depending on the sunlight, his eyes will be more --”   
  
“They’re green,” Sam finished.   
  
The Sheriff stared at Castiel. “Right. Did you get all that, Dispatch?”   
  
“Yeah, definitely got that. Very green eyes. Got the rest too. Name?”   
  
“Dean Winchester,” Castiel said.   
  
“Got it all, Sheriff.”   
  
“Good.” The Sheriff beckoned the EMTs over. “You guys can take the body now.”   
  
They nodded and loaded the body into the ambulance. As the ambulance left, Stiles arrived in his Jeep, followed by Derek’s Camaro and the pack spilled out of the cars.    
  
“You guys okay?” Stiles asked.   
  
“Yeah, we’re fine. Dean’s definitely not. Please, track the van. I would have gone after them, but Dean had the keys, so...”   
  
“You guys are hunters, though. Shouldn’t you guys know how to hotwire a car? It was one of the first things my parents taught me,” Allison said.   
  
Sam snorted in an attempt to suppress his laughter and Castiel smiled. “Even if I saved Dean’s life a hundred times in the next 24 hours, Dean would murder me the minute he found out I did that to his car. Trust me, not an option,” Sam said.   
  
“Just so you guys know, the same rule applies to my Camaro,” Derek deadpanned. “I’ll see if I can track them.” He sniffed at the rubber burns then boarded his Camaro and left in the direction the van went into, taking Jackson and Danny with him.    
  
“Damn it, I really hope Dean’s okay,” Sam sighed, sitting down on the hood of the Impala. Officer Evans came up to him and said, “This is probably an inappropriate time, but I don’t think an appropriate time is coming anytime soon. So, I just wanted to say, just in case I died before this war was over, that you’re one of the sexiest men I’ve ever seen.”   
  
“Um, thank you?”   
  
The Sheriff rolled his eyes. “Evans, I’m just going to pretend that conversation didn’t just happen.”   
  
“It didn’t,” Evans confirmed, winking at Sam. Sam smiled uneasily.    
  
Lydia was crouched over the blood stain, looking at it. “A lot more people are going to die before this is over, aren’t they?”   
  
“Yes,” Castiel said. Lydia frowned. The Sheriff groaned and said, “Just make sure you guys aren’t the ones dying. I mean it.”   
  
“I know, Dad,” Stiles said, looking at Lydia then at Scott and Allison, who were standing over at the Jeep. Rodriguez crouched over next to Lydia and said, “Don’t worry. I’m going to do my best to protect you and everyone else.”   
  
“Thanks, Rodriguez.”   
  
“You can call me Matt, if you want.”   
  
Lydia smiled. “Thank you, Matt.”   
  
A few minutes later, Stiles’ phone rang.   
  
“Yeah, Derek?”   
  
“The scent leads to a trail into the woods. It’s a long trail. We’re not going to go any further, because if we do, we’d be in their territory and we would all get ripped apart. We can’t do anything right now.”   
  
“Shit. Okay, I’ll tell them.”   
  
“Meet us back at home. We’re going to need to come up with a good plan for this.”   
  
“Okay, see you soon. I love you.”   
  
“Love you too.”   
  
Stiles hung up. “Sam, Castiel, we know where they’re headed, but we can’t go in unprepared. We need to draw out a plan. We’re going to go back home and discuss ideas for a plan. You guys need a ride?”   
  
“Yes,” Castiel immediately said. “Let’s go.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The van came to a stop a few yards away from the Alpha Council’s table. Zoe opened the side door and the werewolves hopped out, dragging Dean with them. They shoved him onto a chair that Josh had just set down and Zoe bound his hands together with rope.   
  
“Where’s the other one?” Boomer asked.   
  
“We nearly had him. He slipped out because of this bastard,” one of the Betas glared at Dean. “He had the upper hand on us, so we had to get out.”   
  
“Where’s Polly?”   
  
“He killed her,” the Beta said, pointing to Dean.   
  
Midnight blue took over the normally brown eyes of Zoe’s and she growled. “You fucking _bitch_. I’m going to kill you.”   
  
Dean chuckled. “Go ahead.”   
  
“He’s the one that died and came back,” Johnny said.   
  
“Oh look, it’s the shitty Alpha. What kind of Alpha lets a bunch of kids kill his entire pack?”   
  
Johnny looked away from Dean with a pained look on his face. Melly sniggered and Boomer growled, shooting her a look before punching Dean’s face. He grabbed Dean’s cheeks and said, “You’re going to pay for what you did to Johnny’s pack.”   
  
“What _I_ did?” Dean laughed. “It’s not my fault he’s got a pack full of reject werewolves. Oh, sorry, I meant _had_.”   
  
Johnny’s fists clenched and Boomer punched Dean again. Zoe put her hand on Boomer and pushed him out of the way, saying, “I’d like to see whether you’re really immortal.” She extended her claws and grazed Dean’s throat. Dean didn’t even make a move to protect his throat; he just sat there, staring at Zoe’s Alpha blue eyes. Zoe growled and dug her claws into Dean’s throat slowly, inflicting as much pain as possible.    
  
Dean’s face contorted in pain, but he refused to scream. Zoe narrowed her eyes and dug her claws even deeper, growling. She tore Dean’s throat off. She watched the life leave Dean’s eyes.   
  
“The bastard didn’t even scream,” complained Zoe.    
  
“At least he’s dead,” Melly said.   
  
“For maybe a minute,” Johnny said. “He’ll be back, just watch.”   
  
The Alphas and Zoe’s Betas stared at Dean’s throat. A full minute passed. Nothing happened.   
  
“Looks like he’s really --”   
  
Zoe jumped back as Dean gasped in air, his throat whole once again. He laughed. “Seen enough?”   
  
Zoe swallowed. Melly stared at him. Boomer turned to Josh then to Johnny, who was staring into the distance. He punched Dean again.   
  
“Go ahead, beat me up all you want. I’ll never give you anything. Nothing you could ever do to me would compare to what I’ve been through,” Dean grinned.    
  
“Oh, we’ll see about that. You have no idea what we’re capable of,” Melly sneered.   
  
Dean laughed. “And _you_ have no idea what I’ve been through.”   
  
“And what, pray tell, have you gone through that was oh so terrible?” Melly mocked.   
  
“Have you ever been tortured for thirty years in Hell?”   
  
One of Melly’s eyebrows raised but Josh spoke first, “What? What did you say?”   
  
“I was tortured for thirty years in Hell. Do you really think anything you can do to me will break me?”   
  
Josh listened intently for a blip in Dean’s heartbeat but found none. The steadiness validated Dean’s statement. “Get him out of our sight. Put him in the shack, and keep him under guard at all times. No less than four men at a time.” Zoe nodded and gestured for her Betas to do what Josh had said. Dean laughed as he was dragged away.   
  
“Hell? What the hell is he talking about?” Zoe asked, chuckling at her own inadvertent pun.   
  
“He’s a much more complicated man than we thought,” Josh said. “We must be careful with him.”   
  
“Just because he said he was in Hell? As if Hell exists,” Melly scoffed.   
  
“Oh, Hell most definitely does exist,” Josh replied. “I’ve had a few... _unfortunate_ dealings with demons.”   
  
“Demons? As in...?”   
  
“Demons. From Hell. The type that buys your souls for deals. I wish I was kidding, but I’m not. I had a pack member who sold his soul. It was not a pretty sight when they came collecting.”    
  
“Great. Immortal hunters and now demons. What’s next?” Melly rolled her eyes.   
  
“We should start the next part of our plan immediately. Are the bombs ready, Boomer?”   
  
“Yeah, they are.”   
  
“Good. Get everything together, then we’ll start the next phase.”   
  



	8. The Introduction

# Chapter Seven

  
“Seriously? You guys have got nothing?”   
  
“It’s not that we’ve got nothing, Sam,” Derek replied. “There’s just nothing we can do. At least, nothing that wouldn’t get us all killed. We can’t just go in there like we did with the Alcotts. There’s too many of them.”   
  
“So, what are you saying? We leave Dean to those bastards?”   
  
Stiles sighed. “Sam, you got an idea? One that will actually work?”   
  
Sam stared at Stiles. Castiel furrowed his brow and looked down from the conversation, defeated.   
  
“I’m sorry, Sam, but no matter what, we just don’t have the numbers nor the strength to fight them all off. We go in, and we’re all dead,” Derek said. “Dean can’t die, however, correct? So, we know he’s still alive. We’ll get him back, somehow. We just need to find a smart way to do it.”   
  
“Okay, what would consist of a ‘smart’ way, then?” Sam asked.   
  
Danny spoke, “I’d recommend sending in two of us in a covert operation, but they’re werewolves, they can hear and smell us anyway.”   
  
“You play too many video games,” Jackson chuckled.   
  
Danny growled. “Shut up, Jackson.”   
  
“Cas, can you just pop in there and grab him?”   
  
“No, I don’t have enough grace left to do that,” Castiel said sadly.   
  
“Fuck!” Sam raged, kicking a chair. Derek glared at him but calmed down after Stiles grasped his hand, his wolf wrapping itself around Derek’s.   
  
_Let him be upset, he has every reason to be,_ Stiles’ wolf whispered.   
  
Derek exhaled. He looked at Stiles, who was smiling slightly.    
  
“I’m sorry, Sam,” Derek said. “But don’t think we’re giving up. We’re not. We just need to figure out a way to do this right.”   
  
Sam picked the chair up and sat down forcefully, glowering.   
  
“Perhaps we need to create a distraction,” Lydia said, “Give them a reason to get out of their spot, like what the Argents did when they kidnapped Stiles?”   
  
“What exactly could we do that would draw out that many werewolves? And wouldn’t get us killed?” Allison asked.   
  
“Good point,” Lydia conceded.    
  
“We could just toss a nuke over at their camp, blow them all up. Dean can just come back after it’s done,” Scott “helped,” drawing incredulous looks from the pack.   
  
“Leave the humor to me, Scott,” Stiles deadpanned. Allison giggled as Scott sank into his chair.    
  
“I need to find him,” Castiel said. “I need to tell him.”   
  
“Tell him what?” Stiles asked. Castiel hesitated before saying, “That I... I think I love him.”   
  
Danny beamed. “That’s awesome, Castiel. We’re going to help you.”   
  
Sam nodded, a slight smile replacing his angry frown. Derek raised an eyebrow, looking at Stiles who was grinning. “An angel in love with a human? That’s pretty awesome! Dean is lucky. Has that ever happened before?”   
  
“No, never.”   
  
“ _Really_ lucky, then!”   
  
Derek scowled at Stiles. “Oh come on, Derek. I’m lucky too, I’ve got you. But you’ve got to admit, the idea of being in love with an angel is pretty awesome.” Derek rolled his eyes but had to agree. An angel was a fucking _angel_.    
  
“We’re going to figure something out,” Sam said. “Got to stay positive.”   
  
Stiles nodded, smiling at Derek. Then, he froze.    
  
“What’s it?”   
  
“Do you hear that?”   
  
“No?”   
  
Stiles got up and exited the house, with the rest of them following behind. Stiles walked down the steps and cocked head so his ear was parallel with the town, where the sound was coming from.   
  
“What’s it?” Jackson asked.   
  
“Be quiet.”   
  
“Stiles? What’s wrong?” Scott asked.   
  
“Would you guys shut the fuck up? I can’t hear if you guys keep talking. Shut up.”   
  
The pack fell silent. Derek stood behind Stiles, his hands on Stiles’ shoulders. Stiles closed his eyes and tuned out the sound of the woods, the heartbeats of the pack, and focused on the sound.   
  
“It’s an amplified voice,” Stiles said after a while. “It’s... saying something about a meeting. At the school.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The Sheriff stared at his walkie-talkie. “Repeat that, please.”   
  
“Reports of a robbery at the RadioShack. A bunch of people broke in and stole several megaphones.”   
  
“Megaphones? How many?”   
  
“Looks like maybe ten, fifteen.”   
  
“I’m not really sure that’s important right now. Just send someone else, we’ve got bigger --”   
  
“Some of the witnesses said that some of the robbers’ eyes were glowing.”   
  
The Sheriff groaned. “What the fuck do werewolves want with megaphones?”   
  
“No idea,” Dispatch replied.   
  
“I’m on way.”   
  
The Sheriff tossed aside his walkie-talkie and u-turned his car and headed for RadioShack.    
  
_What the hell are they up to now? Why do they need megaphones?_   
  
The Sheriff pulled into RadioShack’s parking lot. A bunch of people were standing outside, including the manager. The manager approached the car as the Sheriff stepped out. Before the Sheriff could even compose himself, the manager began vomiting words.   
  
“Whoa, hold on. I can’t even understand you. Calm down. Start again, from the beginning.”   
  
The manager nodded far too quickly and restarted, “Sheriff, these guys barged in and one of them demanded to know where we kept the megaphones. I pointed them to the direction and they went over then and just took every megaphone I had and they tried to leave without paying for them. I shouted at them and told them that they needed to pay for them, but the guy who was in charge just glared at me and... I swear to god, I’m not lying!”   
  
“About?”   
  
“His eyes. They... became yellow. They were blue at first but it was like... a glow stick, you know? One of those yellow glow sticks. It just went from blue to bright yellow. He told me to shut up.”   
  
The Sheriff sighed. “Did they say anything else?”   
  
“Yeah. They said to get to the school immediately.”   
  
“The school? What for?”   
  
“I don’t know.”   
  
“Then what?”   
  
“They left. Didn’t leave any money. I didn’t go after them, no way in hell.”   
  
“Okay, thank you. Are you guys going to be okay here? I need to go, the rest of my men are busy, so I’ll need to follow this up myself. I’ll send someone else here as soon as I can.”   
  
“Yes, I think we’ll be fine. But those people, they looked,” the manager paused. “ _Mean_. Be careful.”   
  
“I will. Thank you.”   
  
The Sheriff got into his car and drove toward the school. He picked up the walkie-talkie.    
  
“Dispatch, send an unit or two to the school, and keep the rest on alert. The werewolves may be headed there.”   
  
“Yes, sir,” came the reply.   
  
“Also, please --”   
  
A car drove by the Sheriff in the opposite lane with a man hanging outside the window, shouting into his megaphone. The Sheriff screeched to a stop, opened the door and stepped out, watching the car.   
  
“-- the school. All residents are required to attend. No exceptions allowed. Repeat, immediate emergency meeting at the school. All residents are required to attend. No exceptions allowed.”   
  
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” the Sheriff muttered. He scrambled for his walkie-talkie and shouted, “Dispatch! Send _all_ units to the school _immediately_. They’re summoning the entire fucking town!”   
  
“What? Why?”   
  
“I don’t know, they’re calling it a meeting. I highly doubt it’s going to be one.”   
  
He tossed aside the walkie-talkie and pulled out his cell phone and dialed Stiles’ number.   
  
“Dad! I’m hearing something about some meeting --”   
  
“Son, the werewolves are forcing everyone to the school. They’re calling an emergency meeting of some sort. I do not like this, get over here _now_. This is not going to end well.”   
  
“Yeah, okay, we’re on our way.”   
  
_I’m relying on my underage son to bail us all out of this disaster. What the fuck has happened to my life?_   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles snapped his cell phone shut.   
  
“Fuck. Guys, we need to get to the school.”   
  
“What’s going on?” Sam asked.   
  
“Dad says the werewolves are pushing everyone to the school. And by everyone, he means _everyone_.”   
  
“Okay, this is a great time to go grab Dean, then. Cas, --”   
  
“No,” Lydia said. “This isn’t a coincidence. They took him for a reason. He’ll be there, at the school.”   
  
“She’s right,” Castiel said. “They wanted you two for a reason. This must be it.”   
  
“And if they’re gathering everyone,” Derek said, “there aren’t too many reasons. They’re either going to turn everyone right now, or they’re going public. It makes sense; they’d have to do that eventually to get what they want.”   
  
“God damn, this isn’t good,” Danny said. “Our parents, our families -- I hope they’re okay.”   
  
“And we can expect something else, for sure,” Stiles said.   
  
The pack looked at him, waiting for him to continue. Stiles looked at them and sighed slightly.   
  
“If they’re outing themselves, we can be sure they’ll tell them about us as well. And the Argents. Life will never be the same after today.”   
  
“Life’s already different,” Lydia shrugged.   
  
“Yeah, it is, Lydia,” Stiles said. “But now, your parents will know. Your friends will know. Everyone at the school will know. They’ll look at us differently. They’ll be afraid of us. We need to prove to them we’re good people. We need to protect them.”   
  
“You’re right,” Derek agreed. “This is our town. We need to protect them.”   
  
“Shit,” Sam could only say. “Shouldn’t we be going now?”   
  
“Yeah, we need to go.”   
  
“Should we be expecting a fight?” Allison asked, “because I’m nearly out of arrows. I need to stop by home and pick some more up... and I think some Wolfsbane bullets would help.”   
  
“I don’t know. I’m not sure if they’ll risk a fight in front of the entire town,” Derek said. “But just in case, that’s probably a good idea.”   
  
“I’ll go with you,” Scott said. “We’ll meet you at the school.”   
  
Scott and Allison got into Allison’s car and left first. The rest of the pack and Sam and Castiel packed into Derek’s Camaro, Stiles’ Jeep, and Jackson’s Porsche. They set off for the school.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“No, you can’t do this! These people are injured, they need to --”   
  
“Shut up,” the man growled, his eyes an orange-reddish color. “Everyone who can doesn’t need life support and can walk goes to the school. Including you. Move.”   
  
Melissa McCall frowned at the man as he walked away, barking orders at his men. The hospital was in chaos, people were being herded out of the building and marched toward the school.   
  
“No!” Melissa shouted. “There has to be at least one person watching over the people who can’t go! I’m not going anywhere!”   
  
The man turned and growled. “Fine. But only you, _everyone else_ must go.”   
  
Melissa scowled at the man. She saw Chris Argent walking down the hallway with her arm wrapped around Victoria’s waist, shielding the arm with the cast with his body.    
  
“Chris!”   
  
Chris turned to her. “Melissa, you need to get out of here. Quickly.”   
  
“No, I can’t. There’s people here who still need help. I’m not going anywhere. Victoria, are you okay? You still have a pretty bad concussion, you shouldn’t be moving.”   
  
“Yes, I should,” Victoria said. “This isn’t a time to be sitting around. I need to get off my ass and protect this town. Protect my daughter.”   
  
Melissa grimaced. “Okay. Be careful. Please, watch over my son as well.”   
  
Victoria gave her a sharp nod. She and Chris turned and continued down the hallway. Melissa frowned, but went back to ordering certain patients to remain in the hospital.   
  
“They’ve gone too far,” Victoria said. “This is unprecedented. Going public like this? What are they doing?”   
  
“Taking the choice out of our hands,” Chris replied. “They’re telling the entire town what they are and who we are. I don’t even know how the town will react. They already hate us because of Kate. I don’t know if they’ll hate us more for being hunters, or if they’ll love us for protecting them. Then again, some of the Hales weren’t werewolves. I don’t know.”   
  
“This is not going to end well,” Victoria said. “We need to go home first. Weapons. We need to find Allison too.”   
  
“My phone’s dead, charger’s at home. I’ll call her when we get home.”   
  
“Damn it,” Victoria muttered. “Everything’s changing.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The Sheriff pulled into the parking lot of the school and parked. The lot was already full, so he had to just pick a random spot by a curb. People were being herded toward the lacrosse field, and the stands were already nearly full. There was barely room for everyone in town.    
  
Just what the hell are they planning?   
  
“Dispatch, where’s everyone else?”   
  
“I’ve told them all to head for the school, but some of them are handling some minor altercations. This has put everyone on edge, so people are snapping. This isn’t going anywhere good.”   
  
“Damn it. Is anyone else almost here?”   
  
“Hold on,” Dispatch said. The Sheriff waited, and as he did, he noticed a man staring at him, smiling. His eyes glowed sea green. The Sheriff looked away.   
  
“Rodriguez and Evans should be there shortly.”   
  
“Thank you, Dispatch,” the Sheriff said as they pulled up.    
  
Rodriguez’s eyes were glowing their turquoise color already. He stepped out of the passenger side and Evans got out, looking around.   
  
“This is a weird sight,” Evans said. “What can we do?”   
  
“Nothing,” Rodriguez replied. “There’s too many of them. I can smell them. So many of them, everywhere.”   
  
The Sheriff frowned. “That’s what I thought. We can’t do anything. If we try something, they’ll just start killing people.”   
  
“Damn it. Cowards,” Evans muttered.   
  
“No, not cowards,” Rodriguez replied. “Opportunists. They’re creating an opportunity where they have the advantage over us, in every way. If we attack, we look like the bad guys, and they get to take us out. If we stand by and do nothing, it reflects badly upon us, but it’s the best way everyone stays alive.”   
  
“Either way, this isn’t going to be a secret anymore,” the Sheriff said. “This is about to spiral out of control. I don’t like this, at all.”   
  
Rodriguez growled. A hand landed on the Sheriff’s shoulder. He turned around and faced the same dark green eyes he saw earlier.   
  
“Sheriff? Please, come with me. My Alpha would like to speak with you,” he said. He looked over at Rodriguez and added, “Alone.”   
  
Rodriguez growled once again.   
  
“It’s fine, Rodriguez. Lead the way,” the Sheriff said. The Beta smiled creepily and led the way.    
  
_Fuck. Don’t kill me._   
  
The Beta stepped behind a building and stopped, gesturing for the Sheriff to continue. The Sheriff did so, uncomfortably.   
  
_Hidden behind a building? That doesn’t look good. If this doesn’t go well, I’m sorry, Stiles..._   
  
“So, you’re the Sheriff.”   
  
“Yes, I am. May I ask who you are?”   
  
“My name is Joshua Miller,” he said, his eyes as orange as the embers at the bottom of a fire, “It’s nice to meet you.”   
  
“I’m not sure I’d say the same here,” the Sheriff replied coldly. “Why are you doing this?”   
  
“We just want to,” Josh shrugged, “talk.”   
  
“Talk? And you’re scaring the entire town and herding them all here like sheep? That’s an interesting way to talk.”   
  
“I understand your concern. However, in light of recent... _events_ , we needed to do this quickly.”   
  
“I’m assuming you’re talking about the dead bodies that popped up over at the Hale property?”   
  
“That would be one of them,” Josh smiled, but the Sheriff saw only ice crackling over his lips. “Sheriff, I asked you here because I wanted to make it clear to you that we don’t want to hurt anyone. We only want to talk. If you, your officers, or... your _son_ and his friends try to interfere in any way, then...”   
  
“I get it. People start dying. Trust me, I get it.”   
  
“Good. I have your cooperation, then?”   
  
“Yes,” the Sheriff said. _Only because I have to._   
  
“Good. Do have a nice day, Sheriff.”   
  
The Sheriff couldn’t hold back his scoff. The Beta behind him grabbed his arm and yanked him away from the Alpha and shoved him away from the building. Josh leered over the edge of the building and watched the Sheriff walk away. He did not look back.   
  
“Well, I see where the Stilinski boy gets his strength from,” Zoe said, stepping away from the shadows. “He’s got balls.”   
  
“Yes, he does,” Josh replied. “He’s also smart. He knows we’ve got the upper hand. I just hope the Hales do as well.”   
  
“We should have just grabbed him and held him hostage,” Boomer growled from behind Zoe.   
  
“That wouldn’t be a good idea,” Josh said. “This town loves the Sheriff. We can’t do that if we want to win them over.”   
  
“And blowing up a guy will?”   
  
“They need to understand that we mean business. They’ll understand after we tell them why we’re doing this.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Derek, Jackson, and Stiles’ cars pulled into the school parking lot, only to find it completely packed. Derek shrugged and parked in the middle of the driveway and got out, followed by Sam and Castiel. Jackson and Danny got out of the Porsche, followed by Stiles and Lydia climbing out of the Jeep.    
  
“There’s too many of them,” Derek growled. The eyes of every werewolf on campus were on them, all of them brimming with energy.    
  
“There’s Dad,” Stiles said, grabbing Derek’s hand and dragging him. The feel of Stiles’ skin calmed Derek down and he took the lead, briskly walking toward the Sheriff.   
  
“Derek, Stiles. Guys,” the Sheriff said. “I’m sorry for calling you all here.”   
  
“Don’t be. This looks like it’s going to get ugly.”   
  
“I’ve already spoken to one of their Alphas, and --”   
  
“ _What?_ Dad!”   
  
“I had no choice. He wanted to talk to me. If I had said no, what would he have done to me?”   
  
Stiles growled. His father had a point. “What did he want?”   
  
“He just wanted to tell me to back off. All of us. The force and you guys.”   
  
“Back off?” Sam asked, incredulous. “Why the hell would he think we’d just back off?”   
  
“He says he just wants to talk. He --”   
  
“DANNY!” A voice shrieked. A woman burst through a group of people and grabbed ahold of Danny. “I’m so glad you’re okay, honey.”   
  
“Mom,” Danny groaned. “I’m fine. Can you please let go?”   
  
“Okay, good,” she said, but she didn’t let go. “Jackson, your parents are looking for you too. Come with me.”   
  
Jackson didn’t budge and when Danny’s mother pulled at Danny’s hand, he slid his hand out of hers. She looked back and stared at Danny and Jackson.   
  
“What are you doing? Come on, we need to stay together.”   
  
“Sorry, Mom, but not right now. I need to stay with my friends.”   
  
Danny’s mother’s face turned from fear and panic into stone. She narrowed her eyes. “Daniel Mahaelani. Move your ass.”   
  
Danny winced. “No.”   
  
“Excuse me?”   
  
“I’m sorry, Mom. But this is way beyond everything you know. I can’t leave my friends right now.”   
  
“Daniel, --”   
  
“ _Mom_ , damn it. Just for once, listen to me. Find Dad, find Jackson’s parents, and get out of here. Go home.”   
  
“I’m not leaving you alone here. Besides, they won’t let us leave, we already tried.”   
  
“Fuck,” Danny cursed. “Just stay as far away from them as possible.” His mother squinted her eyes and asked, “Danny, do you know what’s going on?”   
  
“Umm...” Danny hesitated. The Sheriff shrugged. “The Alpha plans on talking to everyone. They’re all going to find out anyway.”   
  
“Shit,” Lydia said. “My parents are going to kill me.”   
  
“Mrs. Mahaelani, can you please find my parents and Lydia’s parents, and stay with them? McCall’s mother too, if you can find her. After this is done, we’re going to need to talk to you guys. You guys are going to want an explanation.”   
  
“Okay, Jackson. I’ve told you a thousand times, though, call me --”   
  
“Mom, not the fucking time for that.”   
  
“Language, Daniel.”   
  
“Not the fucking time for that either,” Danny growled. Mrs. Mahaelani narrowed her eyes again and stepped closer to Danny and whispered, “There’s _always_ time for manners.”   
  
“Fine, Mom. I’m sorry. Can you just go find them all?” She huffed then left them alone.   
  
“Jeez, Danny,” Stiles said. “Nice mom you’ve got.”   
  
“She’s sweet. Strict, but sweet.”   
  
“Got that vibe,” Stiles agreed. He turned to his father and asked, “So, what do we do?”   
  
“Nothing.”   
  
“Nothing? We can’t do nothing,” Sam said. “We’ve got --”   
  
“No, we can’t do anything,” the Sheriff insisted. “Rodriguez said they’re everywhere. In the stands as well. We do anything, and we put everyone at risk. No, we can’t do anything.”   
  
Sam scowled. “Did you at least see Dean?”   
  
“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t.”   
  
“Fuck,” Sam muttered.    
  
“Derek, what do we do? Do we just wait or do we go talk to them?”   
  
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. We can’t be seen instigating anything. I don’t like this, but I don’t think we have a choice.”   
  
“Great, so we can only sit here and twiddle our thumbs as everyone’s about to find out what we are?”   
  
“Pretty much,” Derek deadpanned.   
  
Stiles rolled his eyes. “Shit.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Josh,” the Beta with the dark green eyes said, “They’re here.”   
  
“The Hales?”   
  
“Yeah.”   
  
“All of them?”   
  
“No, it seems a few of them aren’t here, but the Alphas are.”   
  
Josh turned to Zoe and Boomer, pondering for a minute.   
  
“Good. Are the news crews here yet?”   
  
“No, but they should be here any minute. Will said they left about ten minutes ago. Traffic’s a little congested, but they should be here soon.”   
  
“Okay, we’ll start the moment they arrive.”   
  
“What about the rest of the residents?” Zoe asked.   
  
“Doesn’t matter. As long as this place is packed, the Hales are here, and the cameras are on, the entire town will see us. We need the people here to witness us firsthand so they can confirm it for everyone else. We don’t need _everyone_ in town to see us.”   
  
“Point taken,” Zoe conceded.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Are you guys done yet?”    
  
“No. Almost.”   
  
“Good,” Melly grumbled. “Hurry up, I don’t want to miss the fun.”   
  
Melly was sitting on the counter, her legs crossed. The leg that hung over the other was bouncing up restlessly. Boomer’s explosive experts were attaching a bomb to the stove; it was the closest to the gas line. They had already installed one in the garage and one in the master bedroom.    
  
“Three bombs seems a little overkill,” Melly commented. “Isn’t one enough?”   
  
“Probably,” one of the Betas replied. Melly stared at the back of his neck, waiting for him to continue. He didn’t.   
  
“Well? Why are we putting three then?”   
  
“To make sure they die. The explosion will be big and beautiful. There should be nothing of this house left. Anyone still inside will be just ashes by then.”   
  
“Hmm. Poetic,” Melly approved. “Hurry the fuck up.”   
  
“The Beta turned his head around and glared at Melly. “If we hurry the fuck up, like you want, we’d make a mistake. Then it’d be _us_ that’s ash. This isn’t something you rush.” He went back to helping his packmate connect the bomb to the back of the stove.   
  
Melly’s eyes flashed pink in anger. _How dare they talk back to an Alpha. They will regret that._ She smirked, her pink eyes fading. She rested her back against the back of the chair and her bouncing leg finally stilled.    
  
_Snap_   
  
“Whoa, that was close,” one of the Betas said. “Okay, that’s it. We’re all good.”   
  
“The bombs are all set?”   
  
“Yeah.”   
  
“Good. How long until they go off?” Melly asked.   
  
“They’re not timed bombs, they’re remote-activated bombs.”   
  
“Who has the remote?”   
  
“Boomer.”   
  
“Of course he does,” Melly said, rising from her chair. The Betas were cleaning up their equipment. Melly walked over to them and bent down. “Good job, boys,” she said, smiling. She pulled both of them close and kissed each of them on the cheek.   
  
Her claws extended, and she slashed their throats.   
  
The Betas laid at Melly’s feet, spasming as blood gushed out of their throats. They gasped for air that would never reach their lungs, their glowing eyes fading into nothingness.    
  
“That should teach Boomer a lesson,” Melly snorted. “Asshole.”   
  
Melly turned away from the bodies and walked toward the front door. Just before she turned the knob, however, a car pulled into the driveway and she froze.   
  
“Well, well, it seems we have a surprise,” she whispered, grinning as she stepped back.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“So,” Scott said, nervously. Allison was driving.    
  
“What?”   
  
“We’re alone now.”   
  
“Yes, I can see that...”   
  
“Want to talk about it?”   
  
“About what? There’s too much shit going on, I --”   
  
“Us becoming mates.”   
  
“Oh, that.” Allison strummed her fingers on the steering wheel. “I’m not sure it’s really the time to talk about that.”   
  
“Probably not, but we’re alone. When are we going to get that opportunity again? The last few days have been crazy, and we haven’t had any time to ourselves. We get to your home, we pick up the arrows, then we go to the school, and we won’t be alone anymore. I’m not saying we need to mate right now, I just want to talk about it.”   
  
“Okay, Scott.”   
  
“Thinking about Stiles having sex is disgusting,” Scott shuddered and a suppressed giggle came out as a snort escaped Allison, “but I can see the difference mating has made on him. He’s happier. He seems really in love. I’m not saying we’re not -- we are! It’s just... I want that, I want to feel that way with you.”   
  
Allison smiled. “Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s not just Stiles, you can see it in Derek too. I’ve never seen him smile that much, at least, not genuine smiles. It’s a weird side to see in Derek, but, yeah. I get it. Just promise me you won’t cling on me like they do on each other?”   
  
Scott laughed. “I can’t promise that. Besides, I’m not sure I want to make that promise,” he said, grinning. “So, is that a yes?”   
  
“Yes, Scott, I want to be your mate. I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” Allison said, as she pulled into the driveway. She parked the car and turned off the engine. “I love you, Scott McCall.” She leaned over and half-kissed, half-laughed into Scott’s lips. “Come on, we need to go get everything and get to the school. We can’t do this and leave our pack alone to face the bad monsters, now can we?” Allison teased.   
  
“We could,” Scott suggested with a sly smile, “but we probably shouldn’t.”   
  
“Bad boy,” Allison giggled. “Come on.” She opened her door and got out and Scott did the same. They met in front of the car and their hands joined as they walked to the door, Allison’s head on Scott’s shoulder. Allison unlocked and opened the door, but Scott pulled her back.   
  
“What’s it?”   
  
“I don’t know. Something smells weird here. Like werewolves.”   
  
“Well, didn’t the Sheriff say they were going everywhere forcing everyone to the school? It’d make sense if their scent was here too.”   
  
“No, this is coming from inside. Fresh, too. Don’t you smell the blood?”   
  
Allison sniffed. “Oh, yeah, I do. What the hell?”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“They’re here,” the green-eyed Beta reported, pointing to the news van that had just arrived.  
  
“Excellent. We should get started, then,” Josh said. He stepped from behind the building and walked toward the lacrosse field, followed by Zoe and Boomer. Josh stopped in the middle of the field, in front of a microphone.   
  
The noise that filled the air died out. The Betas that were sprinkled across the audience had pointed their attention toward the Alphas. The Hale pack made their way in front of everyone else, as if to create a barrier between the Alpha Council and the rest of the town.   
  
Josh smiled. He waited for the news crew to set up their cameras. He waited until he heard the reporter start talking to the camera.  
  
“Hello everyone. My name is Joshua Miller and this is,” Josh said, pointing to the Alphas standing next to him, “Zoe Powell and Boomer Sooner. Welcome to the first public Alpha Council of Beacon Hills meeting.”   
  
Josh smiled and his Alpha eyes burned through his ordinary irises, and Boomer and Zoe joined in, eliciting murmurs from the audience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter than the usual chapters, but as you can see from where it ends, there's a reason for that. The next part needs to be its own chapter.


	9. The Reveal

# Chapter Eight

  
“First of all, we want to apologize for the rough treatment you may have received on your way here. We don’t want to hurt you, but we needed to do this,” Josh said. “We are three of the five Alphas that sit on the Alpha Council.”    
  
Josh could hear some of the people whispering in the audience, _Alpha Council? What’s that? There’s no such thing._   
  
“None of you know what the Alpha Council is, because it has not existed until now. The Council is where us Alphas gather and discuss the future of the town. This town, Beacon Hills. We have come here because this town is the perfect place for our kind to live in peace.    
  
“We have fought for our lives for far too long. We have been running and hiding from people who have been trying to kill us, just because of what we are. We want peace. We want a place where we can be ourselves, where we can truly be free.    
  
“I’m sure you all are wondering what I mean by ‘our kind’ -- what you all need to know is that the supernatural world exists. They’re not only on television. They’re real. They exist. Some of you know them. Some of you _are_ them. We are them.   
  
“We’re werewolves.”   
  
The residents of Beacon Hills exploded.   
  
_Werewolves? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me._   
  
_They forced us all here for some prank? This is crap._   
  
_Explain the glowing eyes, then. What can do that?_   
  
_Contact lenses, or something like that. Easy._   
  
Josh smiled. “People, quiet down!” The noise continued. “QUIET DOWN,” Boomer shouted and a blanket of silence fell upon the crowd. Josh was looking right at Derek, both of their Alpha eyes showing.   
  
“Ladies and gentlemen, do you really think I would make claims like this, in front of all of you, without proof? Zoe, if you will?”   
  
Zoe stepped forward and began undressing. Some of the parents covered their children’s eyes, some shouted angrily, a select few whistled.   
  
“Please, do not look away. All of you, including the children. This is very important. Watch her.”   
  
Zoe smiled as she pulled off her underwear. Her Alpha blue eyes glowed and she began transforming. First, her teeth grew in and her mouth pushed forward, creating her snout. She bent over as her legs buckled backwards and landed on her hands just as they morphed into paws. Fur sprouted across her back and spread down to her belly. Her ears elongated and relocated to the top of her head and her eyes grew bigger.    
  
Once the transformation was complete, she howled.   
  
The residents stared in stunned silence.    
  
_Holy fucking shit, that was awesome,_ someone said.    
  
_Fuck, we’re all dead,_ another said.   
  
“Please, do not be afraid,” Josh said as Zoe transformed back to her human form and put her clothes back on. “We’re not here to hurt you guys. We don’t want that. We just want a place to live. You guys have allowed a werewolf pack to live amongst you for a very long time.”   
  
The residents began murmuring. Someone shouted, “There aren’t any werewolves living here, I’m sure we’d know if there were!”   
  
“Oh?” Josh replied. “The werewolf pack that’s been living here, they’re called the Hales. Sound familiar?”   
  
The man shut up.    
  
“Yes, the same family that died in that fire six years ago. The Hales are a family of werewolves. As you guys know, not all of the Hales are dead. Here, right in front of me,” Josh smiled, looking at Derek once again, “is a Hale, Derek. Derek is one of the two Alphas living here in Beacon Hills. The other one is the Sheriff’s son, Genim Stilinski, also known as Stiles.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
_Fuck_ , thought Stiles. _There it is, our secret’s blown._   
  
Stiles could hear the shocked gasps and whispers behind them. He looked over at Derek, who was looking at him. He reached over and took Stiles’ hand into his and clutched hard. Stiles could feel Derek's tension bleeding out of his body.    
  
“And these,” Josh pointed to the rest of the pack, “are the Betas of the Hale pack. Will you guys introduce yourselves, or should I do it?”   
  
None of them made a move. Josh shrugged. “Okay then. There’s a total of eight werewolves in the Hale pack. The Alphas, as I’ve said already, are Derek Hale and Genim Stilinski. The rest of them are --”   
  
“Hey there, guys,” Lydia interrupted, turning to the crowd and waving. “I’m Lydia Martin. One of the werewolves. I’m the cute one,” She grinned and winked. She turned to Jackson and glared at him. He nodded then turned around and said, “I’m Jackson Whittemore, co-captain of the lacrosse team.”   
  
“Mathieu Rodriguez. I protect and serve you all,” Rodriguez said, facing the Sheriff. “It’s my duty, and that’s exactly what I’m doing right now.”    
  
Danny turned around and immediately found his mother, staring at him with her mouth dropped. Jackson and Lydia’s parents were standing behind her, all of them looking like they were trapped in a nightmare.    
  
“Hey Mom,” Danny said lamely, waving. “So, yeah, this is the big secret.” He cleared his throat. “I’m Daniel Mahaelani, and I’m a werewolf.”   
  
Stiles leaned really close to Derek’s ear and whispered so quietly, almost none of the werewolves could hear him. “We need to win them over. Smile, be friendly. Don’t scare them.”   
  
Stiles pulled back and put on his best grin. “So hey, guys! We kind of wanted to tell you guys ourselves, but they beat us to it. I’m Stiles! My dad’s the Sheriff,” he waved at his father and the Sheriff responded with a nervous smile. “And this is my boyfriend, Derek!”   
  
Derek looked constipated.   
  
“He’s just a little nervous,” Stiles laughed. “Trust me, when you get to know him, you’ll see he’s such a cute little wolf. Adorable, really.” He laughed and pulled Derek in for a kiss.   
  
“Hey!” Someone shouted. “Is McCall one of you guys?”   
  
“Yeah, Coach, he is.” Jackson replied.   
  
Coach Finstock nodded. “That makes complete sense now. I suppose we’re technically cheating, but it’s not exactly like I can report you guys for being werewolves. I’ll take it,” he said with a shrug. “Championships, here we come!”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“The last two members of the Hale pack would be Scott McCall and Allison Argent,” Josh continued, smirking at the Hales. “Speaking of the Argents... as you all know, Kate Argent was the one who burned down the Hale house six years ago.”   
  
Stiles squeezed Derek’s hand, cutting off the growl building within.    
  
“The Argents are hunters. Hunters hunt and kill our kind. They say it’s because we’re killers. We hunt and kill people. While that is true for some werewolves, for most of us, we were forced to live that kind of lives.   
  
“For example, let’s look at Derek Hale. Six years ago, he had a family. He had a home. He had a life. He had freedom. A hunter changed all of that, and now, he’s been forced to live a drastically different life. And he’s not the only werewolf who has suffered.   
  
“We have all suffered. Zoe?”   
  
Josh stepped back from the microphone and Zoe took his spot. She cleared her throat. “I didn’t have much of a family growing up. My parents were drug addicts, so I was on my own pretty much from the start. They died when in an car accident when I was thirteen years old. The foster care system passed me from family to family for two years. Those guys were only interested in taking advantage of the checks they got, they didn’t care about me. Eventually, I gave up and ran away.   
  
“A woman named Beth found me and took me in. She offered me a home. She offered me a job, a place to live. She gave me the opportunity to live a life. A life of my own, my choices. A life I wanted. One time, she told me about her family, how a tragedy had taken her family from her thirty years earlier, leaving her alone.    
  
“Beth was a werewolf. An old one; she was in her 60’s. I caught her transforming one night, and it scared me, but she explained everything to me. A hunter was the tragedy that killed her family. It shocked me, I was appalled someone would do that to an innocent family. I considered her my mother, so I asked her to give me the bite. I wanted her to have a family again. She gave it to me, and the next three years of my life was the best three years I’ve ever had. She and I were inseparable. I was happy. She was happy.   
  
“I came home one day and found the front door open. Beth was tied to a chair, and there was a man standing over her with a gun. She told me to run. I refused to but then she said, ‘This is the same man. I can’t lose you too. Run.’ The man went after me, so I ran.   
  
“I was able to get away. A few hours later, I felt the Alpha wolf crawl into my soul. I knew Beth was dead. That hunter has been looking for her for thirty years. Hunters don't give up. I’ve been running every day since, and I’m tired of it. I’m tired of running,” Zoe said, wiping a tear away. “I just want a home again.”   
  
Stiles gulped. He looked at Derek, whose face had softened a little. He could smell a little empathy coming from him, but not that much.   
  
Josh stepped up to the microphone once again and said, “This is what hunters like Chris, Victoria, and Kate Argent do. They find werewolves and kill them without regard of who they are. They don’t care what kind of a person you are, they only care about the fact you’re not human, and they kill you.    
  
“Zoe’s story is tragic, but it’s nothing compared to what Boomer went through. Boomer, please tell us what happened to your family.”   
  
“What? No, I’m not talking about that,” Boomer growled.   
  
“Boomer, please.”   
  
“No, Joshua, I will not fucking talk about that. That’s _none_ of their business. It’s none of _your_ fucking business too.”   
  
“Boomer,” Josh tried. “They need to understand why you’re doing this. Why we’re doing this. Please.”   
  
Boomer growled louder. “I’m going to kill you,” he glared at Josh, his eyes burning red. He inched toward the microphone slowly.    
  
Stiles could feel Derek’s body stiffen. Stiles knew Derek hated talking about what happened to his family and he could see the exact same expression on Boomer’s face that Derek would have whenever someone brought up Derek’s family. Stiles took Derek’s face into his hands and looked into his eyes.   
  
“Derek, I love you.”   
  
Derek said nothing, he only closed his eyes and rested his forehead on Stiles’ forehead.    
  
Boomer stared at the microphone. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. He closed it.    
  
“Boomer,” a woman said, jogging from the sidelines. “It’s okay, I’ll tell them.”   
  
“No, Jasmine,” Boomer protested. “I can’t do that to you, little sister. It’s... fine. I’ll do it.”   
  
Jasmine smiled and hugged his brother. Boomer tightened his grip on Jasmine before letting go and turning to the microphone.   
  
He began.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Dude! You’re fucking awesome,” a guy slurred, his eyes drifting independently of each other. He was holding a can of beer and he rose it to clink it with Boomer’s can but missed by a mile.   
  
“Thanks, man,” Boomer replied, chuckling. He walked past the drunk teen and reached for the doorknob.   
  
“Guys guys! Man of the house leaving!” Someone shouted. The party erupted into cheers.   
  
“Marcus! Marcus! Marcus!”   
  
“Bring us another state championship next year!”   
  
“Dumbass, he’s a senior!”   
  
“Marcus! Marcus! Marcus!”   
  
“I love you guys!” Boomer shouted, exiting the house. Immediately after closing the door, he stopped staggering around the place and made a beeline for his car, smiling. Pretending to be drunk was the toughest part of his life.   
  
He was the 17-year old star running back of the state championship football team. He just got a scholarship offer for Southern California. He was waiting for Notre Dame, though. He climbed into his car and grinned, strumming his fingers on the steering wheel before turning the engine on.    
  
_This is the best day of my life,_ Boomer thought, bobbing his head along with the music. The party was only a couple miles from his home, so the drive took only five minutes. When he reached his home, he pulled into the driveway and parked the car behind his mom’s van. He climbed out of the car, tossed the keys up in the air and caught it behind his back with his other hand, grinning.    
  
He never noticed the truck that was parked on the curb.   
  
As Boomer reached the door, he stopped. The glass window on the side was broken. He could smell blood. Slowly, he opened the door and a fresh wave of blood bombarded his nose and he had to step back. He opened his mouth and started breathing through it instead of his nose and entered the house.   
  
The foyer was a mess. Boomer saw remains of a flash grenade, and the mirrors and picture frames were all shattered. Vases that used to rest on the armoire were in pieces, and one of the armoire doors were hanging on one hinge, the other lying on the floor.   
  
Boomer wanted to shout for his family, but they had trained him for this situation. He closed his mouth and sniffed the air. _Too much fucking blood._ He also smelt humans, and they were still in the house.    
  
“Look at this one!”   
  
Boomer managed to hold back his growl. Slowly, he crept toward the kitchen, making sure he didn’t step on any of the glass. He saw blood smeared on the ground near the opening into the kitchen.   
  
_Please, please, be the blood of the hunters, please._   
  
Boomer peeked into the kitchen. His lips quivered in horror and his eyebrows slowly drew up until they couldn’t anymore.    
  
_Dad..._   
  
There were five hunters standing around the a man hanging by his hands, bound by rope. One of them had a sword pointed at his waist.    
  
“Man, just kill him. He’s not going to give up the others.”   
  
_The others? They’re okay then? They’re..._   
  
Boomer moved further out of the security of the wall and more of the kitchen came in view. Boomer spied another figure hanging from the roof, except this one was already cut in half.    
  
_Mom..._   
  
She wasn’t alone, however. She was joined by four more bodies hanging from the ceiling, the youngest being ten years old, all cut into half. The bottom halves of their bodies were strewn across the floor, where was yet another body -- this one was Boomer’s older sister’s five-year old son. He wasn’t even a werewolf. His throat had been slashed open.   
  
Tears fell down from Boomer’s eyes and splashed on the blood-stained tiles.    
  
“Give me the damn sword,” one of the hunters said, snapping Boomer out of his daze. He looked at the man swinging his sword and Boomer’s eyes widened. His father was staring right at him, his eyes blazing red. Boomer’s electric blue eyes glowed as well, screaming for his father since his voice was crippled.   
  
The sword cut him in half.   
  
“Marcus,” his father whispered.   
  
“What was that?” One of the hunters asked.   
  
Boomer’s father’s red eyes faded and the last word that came out of his mouth was, _“Kill.”_   
  
“Dad,” he whispered. The hunters all turned around just in time to see his blue eyes turn purple for a second before becoming just as red as his father’s eyes used to be.   
  
Boomer felt the Alpha’s presence. He felt the last emotion his father felt. He felt his father’s anger.    
  
Boomer’s father, dead. His mother, dead. Three of his sisters, dead. His brother, dead. His nephew, dead.    
  
The only thing left was anger. Boomer felt the Alpha push down his despair and his own rage rose and merge with the Alpha’s anger.   
  
Boomer exploded.   
  
The last thing Boomer remembered was shifting into his brand-new Alpha form and using his teeth to catch the wrist of one of the hunters as he swung the sword down on him.    
  
When the police finally arrived after reports of screaming, gunfire, and howling, they found the hunters in pieces. Small pieces. They were never able to explain what happened to them.    
  
The officers heard crying from above, so they went upstairs, their guns drawn. They found Boomer in the bathtub, covered in blood. His arms were wrapped around a crying eight-year-old Jasmine, stroking her hair.    
  
“It’s alright, little sister,” he whispered. “I’m going to protect you. I’ll never let anyone hurt you. It’s alright, little sister.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Scott pushed Allison behind him and said, “Stay behind me. The smell of the werewolves are really fresh. They may still be here.”   
  
Allison sniffed the air. “I remember this smell from somewhere...”   
  
Allison followed Scott into the kitchen and gasped when they found the bodies. Scott glared at the wounds; at the blood seeping out.   
  
“These are really fresh kills,” Scott said. “Whoever did that is still in here.”   
  
“Well, yes, I am,” Melly said, grinning. Scott and Allison spun around and saw her step out of the shadows. “Well, well. The Argent girl. The last time I saw you, you were still a human. Interesting.”   
  
Scott grabbed Allison’s shirt and pulled her behind him and walked backwards, just as Melly advanced.    
  
“Oh, don’t be afraid, I’m not going to hurt you... too much,” Melly said, chuckling as her eyes went pink. “I’m going to have some fun first.”   
  
Allison frisked her pockets, looking for her cell phone. Remembering that it was destroyed in the car explosions, she reached down Scott’s pocket for his and pulled it out. She searched for Stiles’ number and found it, and hit the text option.    
  
“What are you doing? Alerting your friends? Oh, I don’t think so,” she said as she leapt. Scott pushed Allison out of the way just as Melly slammed into his chest, both of them crashing against the table. Allison, leaning against the refrigerator, quickly typed out an text message.    
  
Scott shifted into his Beta form and snarled. “Get out of here, Allison!”    
  
“No! I’m not leaving you alone!”   
  
“DO IT,” Scott roared.    
  
Melly cackled. “She’s right, you know? Together, you guys have a better chance -- not by much, but a better chance. Alone? I’ll just rip you apart.”   
  
Allison’s eyes went white and she ran for Melly, who had her back to her. Allison shoved her out of the way and screamed, “Let’s go, Scott!” They scrambled for the front door, but Melly cut through the living room and beat them there. Her grin was accentuated by her pink eyes and she said, “You’ve got nowhere to go, my lovelies.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“I found her hiding in her toy chest, under all of her stuffed animals, under a false bottom, which was just where my mother had told her to go if anything ever happened. I made a promise to always protect her, no matter what.”   
  
Boomer turned around and hugged his sister, who had tears streaking down her cheeks.    
  
“Thank you, Boomer,” Josh whispered. He turned to the audience and said, “I hope you all understand why we need to do this. It’s not a matter of want, but of need.”   
  
Derek was holding Stiles so tightly, Stiles could barely breathe. He didn’t complain, however, because he knew Derek was trying his hardest to not cry. Not because of Boomer, but because of the emotions Boomer gave out. They could smell them. Pain. Despair. Anger. It reminded Derek of the very same emotions he felt that night.    
  
“You have me,” Stiles whispered. “You’re not alone, you have me. I love you.”   
  
“Please, shut up, Stiles,” Derek whimpered. “Not here. Not now.”   
  
“You all live a life of peace,” Josh continued. “We don’t have that luxury. We’ve been trapped in the middle of a war that has been waging for centuries between werewolves and hunters. We’re fighting for our survival. Even if we lived in this town in peace with all of you, the hunters would still come after us. Hunters like him,” Josh pointed to a van that was parked on the grass just beyond the lacrosse field.   
  
The side door of the black van opened and two Betas reached inside and pulled out Dean Winchester, bound and gagged to a chair. They carried him toward the Alphas in the middle of the field and set him down.    
  
“Dean!” Sam and Castiel shouted. Danny looked over at Castiel and saw fear in his eyes. It was a strange sight, an angel in fear.    
  
“This hunter is well-known in the hunting world. He’s hunted down hundreds of our kind, mercilessly. He will not stop. That is why he has to die. Just like the Argents that live here, they will have to die too. People like him,” Josh glared at Dean, who gave him an ugly look, “don’t deserve to live. Their only purpose is to end the lives of anything they don’t like.”   
  
_They’re monsters, Josh heard someone say. His orange eyes burned bright and he said, “ _We’re_ monsters? We’re not the ones that kill for sport. We don’t kill for fun. We kill to survive. _They’re_ the ones who kill for fun. Derek Hale! Tell me, when Kate Argent burnt down your house, was everyone that died a werewolf? Or were some of your family humans?”_   
  
Derek growled.    
  
“I’ll answer that for you, Hale. Some of his family members were human. Their only crime was having a family member who wasn’t human. They died for that. How does that make _us_ the monsters? _They’re,”_ Josh pointed at Dean, “the true monsters, not us.”   
  
Derek ignored the murmurs that spread behind him. Stiles looked at him, shocked. He never knew that; he always thought they were all werewolves. Stiles’ cell phone buzzed and he looked at the pocket, wondering why anyone would be texting him right now.    
  
_The only ones who aren’t here are Scott and Allison._   
  
He pulled out the phone and pressed a button. The message from Scott popped up and Stiles’ eyes went wide. He dropped the phone and tore himself off Derek and ran past the pack, past his father, and past everyone else.    
  
“Stiles!” Derek and the Sheriff shouted.   
  
Josh watched Stiles run toward the parking lot, his eyebrows raised curiously. He continued, “And so, we are giving you all a choice now. Submit to us, allows us to give you all the bite. You all will become werewolves, just like us. Your two Alphas, Derek Hale and Genim Stilinski, will join us in the Alpha Council. Together, we will live in this town. We will protect each other. We will not live as humans or werewolves, but as free men and women. If any of you attempt to leave town, then we’ll have to take action.”   
  
“Action? What’s that supposed to mean?” Someone shouted. Josh’s mouth opened but his voice was cut off by a loud crashing sound. Everyone’s attention shifted from Josh to Stiles’ Jeep -- Stiles had slammed on the gas pedal and his Jeep lurched backwards and slammed into the car that was parked behind him.    
  
“My car!” Someone shrieked.   
  
Stiles shifted into drive and tore away from the parking lot, speeding down the road. The Sheriff turned and stared at Derek. Derek stammered, shrugged, then picked up the Stiles’ phone. He read the message.   
  
“Oh, fuck,” Derek whispered. He shoved the phone into Lydia’s chest and ran for his car. Lydia stumbled backwards and clutched at the phone, staring at it.    
  
“By action, we mean we’ll have to kill you,” Josh deadpanned. “I’m sorry, but we can’t afford the risk of anyone telling other hunters what’s happening here until everything’s settled down and we've established stability to this town. If you wish to leave this town, we understand, but we can’t allow that for a while. Nobody’s going anywhere.”   
  
“Oh my god,” Lydia whispered.    
  
“What’s it?” Jackson asked.   
  
“We need to go,” Lydia said as they heard Derek’s Camaro’s engine start up and fade away. Lydia grabbed Jackson’s arm and tugged him away, and Danny followed them. The Sheriff stepped in front of Lydia and demanded, “What the hell is going on?”   
  
Lydia said nothing, he just gave the cell phone to the Sheriff and ran past him. The Sheriff recognized that the phone belonged to Stiles and read the message on the screen.   
  
_alpha here help_   
  
The Sheriff swallowed. The pack was all gone, the only one left was Rodriguez. Sam and Castiel were both still here too, but they were oblivious as to what had just happened -- they were too focused on Dean.   
  
If the Alphas had decided to attack, they were doomed.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Fucking finally,” Chris muttered as he turned the rental car into the street where their home was at. “I never thought I’d be cursing the day werewolves caused a traffic jam. Here of all places.”   
  
Victoria chuckled. “Relax, Chris. Let’s just get the things we need and get to the school.”   
  
“Yeah. Right,” Chris exhaled. Their house came into view and Chris saw Allison’s car in the driveway. “Victoria, it looks like Allison’s here.”   
  
“What?” Victoria looked up from her cast and saw the car. “Well, good, that makes things easier.”   
  
“We’ll talk on the way,” Chris said as he parked the car and opened the door and went around to help Victoria out of the car. Victoria climbed out of the car, holding Chris’ hand, and exhaled. She turned around and looked at the house. A movement on the roof caught her eye and she looked up.   
  
“Chris, why is Allison on the roof?”   
  
Chris raised an eyebrow and looked. Allison was climbing out of her window.    
  
“Allison! What are you doing?”   
  
Allison looked up and the Argents saw fear in her eyes. Allison looked back inside and shrieked, _“Scott!”_   
  
“What?” Chris said. “What’s wrong?”   
  
The wall next to Allison’s window exploded and Scott flew out of it, crashing onto the grass near the Argents, blood streaking down his face. He wasn’t moving.   
  
“SCOTT!”   
  
Allison leapt off the roof, landed, and ran to Scott. The Argents’ eyes widened and they looked back at the freshly created hole and saw Melly in her Alpha form, her pink eyes blazing.   
  
“Get my gun,” Victoria demanded. Chris scrambled to the trunk, popped it open, and pulled out Victoria’s gun and tossed it at Victoria just as Melly leapt out of the hole, landing just a few yards away from Scott and Allison.   
  
Chris pulled out his crossbow and winded an arrow up. Victoria snapped off the safety and fired at Melly. The bullets hit her shoulder and legs and Melly groaned.   
  
“Fuck, those aren’t wolfsbane bullets. Chris! Get them!”   
  
Melly snarled and jumped. Chris grabbed the clip with the wolfsbane bullets and tossed them over to Victoria. As the clip sailed midair, however, Melly landed on top of the car, crushing the roof and shattering the windows. Victoria and Chris covered their faces, protecting themselves from the flying shards of glass. The wolfsbane clip sailed past Victoria and clattered on the pavement.    
  
Melly growled and grabbed Victoria by her neck and lifted her off her feet.    
  
“VICTORIA!” Chris screamed, aiming his crossbow and firing. The arrow stuck into Melly’s ribs and she snarled. She tossed Victoria aside like she was a rag doll, and she crashed against Allison’s car, breaking through the back windshield. Melly turned to Chris and crouched.   
  
Just as Melly leapt, however, Allison grabbed her foot. Melly ended up faceplanting on the hood of the trunk, slamming it shut.    
  
“Come on, Dad! We need to grab Mom and Scott!”   
  
“No,” Chris said. “We need to kill her first, or we all die.” Melly shook herself off and got up, snarling. Chris drew back from the car, trying to ward Melly’s attention away from his family. “Come on, you motherfucker.”   
  
Melly jumped and Chris dropped and rolled toward the car, hugging his crossbow. Melly landed, turned, and ran for Chris. Allison intercepted Melly, slamming all of her weight into Melly’s side. Melly flew a few feet and crashed onto the rough road. Chris got to his legs, ran around the rental car and found Victoria’s gun. He couldn’t find the wolfsbane clip, though. Allison went back to Scott, trying to slap him awake, but he was still out cold. Allison listened for his heartbeat to make sure he was still alive. It was faint, but Allison could hear the heartbeats grow stronger.   
  
Melly got up and broke into an all-fours run for Allison. Chris fired the gun at Melly and the bullets hit her, but she showed no ill effect other than a few stumbles. Allison looked up just as Melly’s head collided with her chest, sending her flying backwards.    
  
“Allison!”    
  
Melly turned to Chris and snarled. Her wolf face was framed by a grin, making her look like an extremely creepy wolf stalking a baby deer.   
  
Behind her, Scott stirred.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Thank you all for your patience,” Josh said. On cue, the werewolves that were hidden among the audience started walking away from the humans. They disappeared into the woods, leaving behind just a few of the Betas and the Alphas.   
  
“We’re going to give you all a few days to think over what we’ve just shared. We do hope you all make the right choice here. Please don’t force us to take action against you all. We just want a safe place to live in. For that to happen, however, people like him,” Josh looked at Dean, “have to die.”  
  
Zoe turned around and left, followed by Josh. Boomer leaned down and ripped Dean’s shirt apart to reveal a bomb and typed in a code. The timer began, counting down from a minute. Boomer pulled off the duct tape that covered Dean’s mouth and said, “Say your goodbyes.”  
  
Boomer and Jasmine left.  
  
Sam and Castiel ran toward Dean but he shouted, “Stop! Don’t come! There isn’t enough time!”   
  
Sam and Castiel stopped reluctantly. “Dean, I --”  
  
“I thought I told you before, Sam. No chick flick moments,” Dean demanded. “I don’t know if I can come back this time. Sam, Cas... I love you guys. Both of you.”  
  
“Dean!” Castiel shouted. “You can’t die!”  
  
The timer went past 30 seconds.  
  
“I hope not, but I’m not sure if I can come back if there’s nothing left of me. I’m sorry.”   
  
“That’s not what I meant,” Castiel said. “I can't let you can’t die!”  
  
“It’s okay, Cas. Just promise me you guys are going to kill them all.”  
  
“Dean...,” Sam said as a tear fell. “I can’t do this again.”  
  
The timer slipped below 15 seconds. Castiel looked at the ticking timer and panicked. He ran.  
  
“Cas! What are you doing? No! Don’t! Stay back!”  
  
Ten seconds.  
  
“Cas! Don’t!” Sam shouted, but he was too late to stop him.  
  
Five seconds.  
  
Castiel reached Dean and did three things. First, with one hand, he grabbed ahold of the bomb. Second, with his other hand, he raised two fingers to Dean’s forehead.  
  
“Cas, what are --”  
  
And then Castiel kissed Dean.  
  
The next thing Dean knew, he was lying on the grass just in front of Sam. He jerked his head up and watched Castiel’s head turn around.   
  
“CAS!”  
  
The bomb exploded.   
  
The last thing Dean saw was Castiel’s trenchcoat flapping from the force of the explosion and his hauntingly sapphire eyes, accentuated by the light from the fire, as the flames swallowed him up.


	10. Tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder -- read the warnings up above.

  


# Chapter Nine

Johnny stood behind a tree, watching the skirmish unfold. He held onto a small device with a red button. Melly had two of Boomer’s Betas with her, but neither of them had come out of the house yet. There was no way the two Hale Betas had killed them since Melly was there too.

Johnny knew what had happened. Boomer thought Melly was up to something and the other Alphas agreed. The Alphas, apart from Melly of course, decided to send Johnny to track Melly and see what she was up to. They had no idea Melly planned on killing Boomer’s Betas herself. When Johnny gets back, they’re going to have to do something about Melly; she was beginning to get out of control. Boomer was not going to be happy.

And now, she was fighting the two Hale Betas and the Argents. Johnny could smell a few of the humans who didn’t go to the school for the meeting. They were lingering around in their houses, hiding. Watching it unfold. One or two of them were trying to connect to the Sheriff’s station.

The female Argent seemed to be dead. She hadn’t moved since Melly threw her into that car. The male Beta seemed to be waking up now, he would be rejoining the fight soon. 

_I should help her out,_ Johnny thought. _Should. Fuck her._

Johnny leaned against the tree, watching Melly chase the male Argent around the car. Johnny rolled his eyes.

_Dumb bitch._

\-----------------------------------

  
Groaning, Scott blinked. He blinked a few more times and wiped the blood off his forehead. He peeled himself off the grass and looked up, seeing Allison struggle to get up. He was about to shout when he heard footsteps to his right, so he looked back. Melly was climbing up on top of the car, and he could see someone’s feet on the other side of the car.    
  
“Dad!” Allison shouted.   
  
Melly ignored her. Scott got up and groaned, pain shooting up his back. He felt one of his vertebrates snap back into position and the pain lessened considerably. He straightened up and looked over at Allison, who was pulling herself up.   
  
“Dad!”   
  
Scott snapped his head back at the wolf on top of the car. He took off, jumped, and slammed into Melly’s back, sending them tumbling over the car and over Chris. Chris took advantage of the window Scott had created to look for the wolfsbane clip. He found it under Allison’s car and crawled underneath, reaching for it.   
  
“Scott!” Allison screamed and out the corner of his eye, Chris saw the grass greet Scott's face violently. Chris grabbed the clip and tried to shimmy his way out, but Melly grabbed his ankle and pulled him back out of the car and picked him up.   
  
Allison looked up from Scott to find her father dangling, utterly at Melly’s mercy. Melly grinned and balled her available hand into a fist. She drew back and slammed the fist right into the center of Chris’ chest. Allison heard his ribs break. Then, Melly flung Chris toward the road and Chris sailed across the tar, broke through a mailbox, and disappeared behind a bush.    
  
“DAD! Fuck! Scott, get the hell up, we need to go!”   
  
Allison dragged Scott until he managed to get on his feet. They ran for the front door but Melly jumped into their path and grinned. Allison and Scott stopped and turned back, headed for anywhere else. Melly got on all fours and rammed into them, using her arm to send them both flying. Scott dented Allison’s car while Allison tumbled on the driveway, just beyond the crumbled rental car.   
  
Melly crouched over Scott and grabbed his throat, pulling him up so he was back on his feet. Melly growled then grinned.   
  
Melly drew back her other hand, pushing her claws out as far as she could.   
  
_“NO!”_ Allison screamed and ran. Just as Melly swung her arm down, Allison jumped and grabbed her forearm. Melly’s momentum was too strong, however; her claws found flesh, cut through it and broke through bone.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“CAS!!”   
  
Flames roared, incinerating the the grass around the chair and Castiel. Dean and Sam could vaguely see Castiel’s silhouette in the flames just as the fire eradicated it. The fireball grew tall and wide, the shock wave throwing the closest people backwards, including Sam, who landed on his ass.   
  
The Sheriff winced and covered his eyes, watching the top part of the fire lick the sky.    
  
The residents gasped. A few fainted, but most spoke.   
  
_Oh my god, that poor man!_   
  
_Did you see that? The guy just disappeared!_   
  
_No he didn’t disappear he moved -- he’s over there now, see?_   
  
_How did he do that?_   
  
_They’re going to blow us all up!_   
  
_What are we going to do?_   
  
Confusion was starting to spread; panic wasn’t far behind. The Sheriff groaned, “Guys! Guys!” The residents’ panicked yelling drowned out the Sheriff’s voice so he grabbed one of the megaphones the werewolves had left behind and turned it on.   
  
“Guys! Everybody, let’s calm down! They’re gone, we’ll be fine. Calm down.”   
  
Voices quieted down and people stopped bumping into each other. They all waited, watching the Sheriff.   
  
“Everybody, calmly, go home. Find your family members, if they’re not here. Go home. Take some time to breathe. We’ll have a meeting later tonight so we can discuss this. Everything’s going to be fine. Go home.”   
  
“Just go home? We’re being threatened by a fuckload of werewolves and you’re telling us to _go home?_ ” A woman shouted.   
  
“Yes. It may not make sense now, but we need to think about what just happened. You all need to think about it and come to your own conclusions, then we’ll discuss the best way to deal with this.”   
  
“Just call the state police or the army! We need help!”   
  
The Sheriff laughed. “And say what? A bunch of werewolves are coming to kill us all? They’ll never believe us. Even if they did come, they’d take my son away from me. They’ll take your child away from you. I will never allow that. We’re on our own here. Go home, rest, eat dinner, and then meet back here tonight at eight o’clock. Eight, everybody.”   
  
The residents quieted down. The officers who had arrived herded everyone out and there weren’t any violence, just stunned silence. Slowly, they boarded their cars and exited the campus.    
  
Sam stood, his eyes on Dean. Dean was still sitting on his ass, staring at the chair he was once tied to. Most of it was gone and the rest were in small pieces, burning.   
  
“Dean?” Sam tried. There was no reply.   
  
“Dean?”   
  
“Where is he?” Dean’s voice was strangely calm.   
  
“W-- What, Dean?”   
  
“Where’s Cas?”   
  
Sam stammered, “D-- Dean, I --”   
  
“He’s supposed to come back. I come back. You come back. He’s supposed to come back too.”   
  
Sam was speechless. Dean was still staring at the spot. There wasn’t even anything of Castiel left. He was just gone. Sam tried to say something but he knew nothing could make Dean feel better. The only thing that could was Castiel’s return. He closed his mouth and thought up a silent prayer.   
  
“Where is he?”    
  
Sam could hear Dean’s voice beginning to crack.    
  
“You can’t do this to me. It’s not fair. It’s not fair! Don’t do this to me!” Dean screamed at the sky. _“Don’t fucking do this to me! Give him back! GIVE HIM BACK!!”_   
  
“Dean,” Sam said. He went down on his knees and pulled Dean into a hug. Dean kept his gaze on the sky, unresponsive to Sam’s touch, water threatening to spill out of Dean’s eyes.   
  
Rodriguez stood next to the Sheriff, both of them watching the Winchesters. He asked, “What are we going to do now?”   
  
“We’re going to seriously think about what they’ve said.”   
  
“What are you saying? You’re not going to --”   
  
“Rodriguez. You smelt them, didn’t you? How many of them are there?”   
  
“I don’t know. At least fifty, if not an hundred.”   
  
“And how exactly are we supposed to defend this town from that many werewolves, with the personnel we have?”   
  
Rodriguez frowned. “I don’t know. Maybe some of the civilians can help out.”   
  
“Maybe. That’s what we need to discuss tonight. I’m not letting my son fight them with the numbers we have. They’ll all die. I will not lose my son too.”   
  
“Okay, Sheriff,” Rodriguez said and walked away, joining Evans and the rest of the officers.   
  
The Sheriff stared at the Winchesters.    
  
_What the fuck am I supposed to do now? I can’t let Stiles do this, there’s too many of them. I can’t lose him, not after what happened to her. I can’t. I won’t._   
  
“Sheriff?” the Dispatch called. The Sheriff pushed the button on his walkie-talkie and replied, “Yeah, Dispatch?”   
  
“We’re getting reports of gunshots and fighting at the Argent house. The caller said it looks like there’s a couple of dead bodies.”   
  
“Fuck,” the Sheriff muttered. “I’m on my way.” He let go of the button and shouted to the Winchesters, “Come on, guys, we need to go.”   
  
Sam pulled Dean to his feet and guided him to the Sheriff’s car.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
_Well, three down one to go,_ thought Johnny.   
  
Forget smelling -- Johnny could _feel_ Melly’s smugness. Johnny scoffed. There’s no reason for her to be so proud of herself; taking down two humans and two Betas alone isn’t too difficult when you’re an Alpha.    
  
Since the Argents were taken care of, there was no need for the bombs anymore. Johnny hoped Melly would go back inside the house for some reason so he could blow her up. At least do that for Boomer.    
  
Johnny’s eyes dropped, his mind wandering.    
  
_Boomer was really there for me, even though he still doesn’t want to do anything. He was there for me. Maybe I do have a chance after all. This crap just needs to be done with. I hope --_   
  
Johnny’s chest clenched. His eyes flared green and he snapped his head back up. Another Alpha was here. Johnny looked down one side of the road, saw nothing, turned back and saw a blue Jeep grow bigger and come to a stop in front of the Argents’ house.   
  
_The Stilinski boy..._   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Scott gasped, all the air pushed out of his lungs. Melly’s claws were still wrapped around his throat, cutting off most of the air travel. Scott tried to talk, but he couldn’t. His eyes were glued to Melly’s pink irises, which were burning brighter and brighter. Scott knew she was smirking, even with that wolf lips of hers.   
  
Scott dropped his gaze from Melly’s eyes and focused on the figure that was pressed against him. Allison’s head was stiff, pressed against the side of Scott’s. Scott could hear a single long gasp escape her lips. Scott could hear her heartbeat turn irregular, ugly, and damaged. Scott felt Allison’s body shiver in pain as Melly curled her claws, digging in deeper, shredding the muscles of the heart.   
  
“Alli--”   
  
Melly squeezed her hand tighter, cutting off whatever remaining airway Scott had. Scott choked, his hands on her hand, trying to pry it away to no avail.   
  
Suddenly, Melly’s grip loosened slightly and Scott was able to gulp in air. Melly’s gleeful face turned hard and she looked up at the road and growled. Scott’s eyes followed and he saw Stiles’ Jeep.   
  
“Stiles,” Scott whispered. Melly snapped her head back at him and growled. She picked Allison up with her claws still stuck inside her and threw her over her head. Scott watched her body hit the grass with a dull thud.    
  
_“NO!”_ Scott heard Stiles scream. Melly picked Scott up and tossed him aside. Scott flew into the air, watching Stiles’ clothes fall apart as he shifted into his wolf form. His body rotated and Stiles slipped out of his view, replaced by the wall of the house. Scott couldn’t do anything except watch the wall rush to meet him as he crashed into and then through the wall. His world went black before he came to a stop inside the kitchen.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Please be okay, please be okay,” Stiles muttered as he raced his Jeep down the road. He nearly hit an old lady crossing the street twice, but he really didn’t care.    
  
Scott needed him.   
  
Stiles blew through every single red light that caught him. The roads nearest to the school were the worst -- Stiles had to stop and honk, scream for the people to get the fuck out of his way before he could continue. This far out, there weren’t as many people.   
  
Stiles was taking way too long to get to them. Dread hit him and he had to take several deep breaths to push back the incoming panic attack.   
  
“They’re fine, they’re going to be fine, I’m going to be there soon,” Stiles reassured himself.    
  
Stiles turned into the road that led to the Argents’ house. Immediately, he felt an Alpha (or two?) and panic rose once again. He slammed on the brakes and stopped just front of the house and got out.   
  
Stiles stopped. He remembered the smell of the Alpha, and those pink eyes.    
  
_Melly._   
  
Melly’s claws had been dug into Allison’s chest. She was pressed against Scott, against Allison’s car. Stiles’ mouth dropped slightly and then Melly simply raised her arm, taking Allison alongside, and threw her over her shoulder. Stiles watched Allison’s body fly, her limbs flailing. She hit the ground.   
  
_“NO!”_ Stiles screamed, breaking out to a run. Melly threw Scott away and turned to face him, snarling. Stiles shifted. First, his nose pushed out and the rest of his body followed in a domino effect, with his legs shifting the last.    
  
Stiles’ purple eyes gleamed and he let out a deep growl as he barreled into Melly. They tumbled, slashing at each other, and when they finally came to a stop, Stiles was on top, roaring into Melly’s face.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The first thing Derek noticed, other than the presence of the other Alpha, was Stiles’ jeep, engine idling, the lights still on, front door hanging open.    
  
The second thing he noticed were the holes on the front of the house and Victoria’s legs hanging out of the back windshield of Allison’s car.   
  
Then, he saw Stiles and Melly fighting. Derek got out of his car, slammed the door, and ran. He was about to shift when he noticed Allison lying on the grass. He stopped, changed directions, and resumed.    
  
Derek dropped to his knees as soon as he reached Allison, sliding the rest of the distance between them, and looked over her. Her chest was torn apart, the cuts had gone deep into her heart and nicked her lungs.   
  
Allison was gasping lightly, trying to breathe.   
  
“Allison! Listen to me,” Derek said. “Listen to me! Focus on your healing! Focus on your heart! Heal! Do it!”   
  
Allison choked out a sob and met Derek’s gaze. Her eyes slowly went white.   
  
“Allison! Come on, heal! Focus on that!”   
  
Derek pulled Allison up off the grass and held her close. He hoped the presence of her Alpha would help speed up the process.   
  
“Come on Allison, heal. Heal,” Derek ordered. “Heal!”   
  
“Sc-- Scott,” Allison said.    
  
“He’s fine,” Derek said. He could hear Scott’s heartbeat. It was steady but he didn’t know where it was coming from. “Don’t worry about him, worry about yourself. Heal!”   
  
Allison gasped again. “Tell him... I --”   
  
“No, Allison, tell him yourself,” Derek said.   
  
“I love -- you,” Allison breathed, “Scott.”   
  
Her heartbeat stopped.   
  
“Allison? Allison!”   
  
Derek pulled back, looking at her eyes. The last of her white eyes faded, leaving behind just her brown eyes. There was no life in them.   
  
“ALLISON! Don’t do this! Don’t give up!”   
  
No response.   
  
Derek’s lower lip quivered as his wolf howled in agony over the loss of a pack mate.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Jackson practically hit Derek’s car. Just in time, he swerved and slammed on the brakes, stopping in between the Camaro and the Jeep. Jackson, Danny, and Lydia got out in record time and ran onto the grass. Jackson and Danny were watching the fight unfold between Melly and Stiles, but Lydia wasn’t.   
  
“Oh my god, no,” she cried. “No no, please, no.”   
  
Danny looked back at Lydia and followed her gaze. Derek was holding Allison’s body, staring at the holes in her chest. Danny stared. Jackson looked at him then at Lydia, scrunched his forehead up in puzzlement, and looked back at the fight. Danny shook Jackson’s shoulder and pointed at Derek and Allison.   
  
“No no no,” Lydia whimpered, dropping to her knees. “Allison...”   
  
Jackson stared at Allison, disbelief on his face. Danny knelt and Lydia clung onto him, crying. Jackson stammered before asking, “Derek, is she...?”   
  
Derek looked at them. No words were needed, the look on his face confirmed it.   
  
Allison was dead.   
  
Lydia’s sobs got louder and Danny held her, afraid if he let go, she’d fall apart. Jackson’s attention returned to the fighting Alphas. He growled, shifted to his Beta form, and took several steps toward them, but Derek was there in an instant with a hand on his chest.   
  
“Don’t be stupid. I don’t want another dead body. Stay back,” Derek said, his voice robotic. Jackson growled but Derek flared his red eyes and Jackson’s growl disappeared.    
  
“Take care of Lydia and Danny,” Derek said. “They need you. I need to check on Scott.”    
  
Derek turned and sidestepped the fight, headed inside the house. Jackson looked back at Danny and Lydia. Lydia’s face was buried in Danny’s chest, but Jackson could hear her wrecking sobbing, he could smell her tears. Danny’s eyes were stuck on Allison’s body.    
  
Jackson crouched over Danny and Lydia, blocking their view of Allison. Danny met Jackson’s gaze and for a moment, Danny was still strong. Then, he broke.    
  
Jackson drew them both in a bear hug. Danny’s tears stained Jackson’s shirt, but Jackson never noticed. He had to be the strong one, now. Danny and Lydia wouldn’t be. There’s no way Scott could be. Stiles was fighting right now, but when it was over -- and Jackson knew damn sure Stiles was going to win this fight -- Stiles would be in the same state as Danny and Lydia.    
  
Derek was the Alpha, and even he looked distraught. No, Jackson knew it was up to him to be the glue. He needed to hold everyone together.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Derek entered the house and immediately smelt the same thing he and Stiles had smelt under the Winchesters’ Impala.    
  
Explosives.   
  
_Fuck._   
  
Derek picked Scott up and put him over his shoulder, ignoring whatever wounds he had. They wouldn't matter if they were caught in the explosion. He jumped through the hole and carried Scott over to where Jackson, Lydia, and Danny were, passing the two Alphas just as Melly took off, and laid the unconscious body of Scott down. Derek pulled his jacket off and folded it up, putting it under his head.    
  
Derek analyzed his body and found a lot of cuts. He swept away the fresh blood from Scott’s face and stared at him.   
  
_I’m so sorry, Scott. I couldn’t protect her. I’m so sorry._   
  
“Is he okay?” Danny asked.   
  
“He’s unconscious, but he should be fine,” Derek replied.    
  
“Derek,” Jackson said. “Go help Stiles. I’ll watch him.”    
  
Derek nodded. “Call the Sheriff, too.” He got up and pulled his shirt off and was about to shift, but stopped.   
  
As it turned out, Stiles didn’t need Derek’s help.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles roared into Melly’s face.   
  
Melly clawed at Stiles’ stomach and wiggled a leg free, kicking him off her. Stiles galloped backwards gracefully and dug his paws into the ground, kicking just as Melly got up. He slammed into her belly, and they both crashed against the side of the house. Stiles cut open deep gashes across her chest before Melly kicked him off her again.   
  
Stiles crawled around Melly, baring his teeth. Melly growled and jumped and Stiles met her midair. Their claws clashed and Melly bit at Stiles’ shoulder, and Stiles tore off her ear in retaliation.   
  
Melly yelped in pain and Stiles took advantage of the opening to throw her clear across the lawn. Stiles jumped before Melly hit the ground and just before Stiles landed on her, Melly rolled out of the way. Stiles slammed on the ground, leaving behind paw print-shaped dents, and chased Melly down.   
  
Stiles was vaguely aware of Derek’s presence. He heard Jackson’s car arrive. He could hear Scott’s heartbeat, but he couldn’t find Allison’s. He could smell her blood, her perfume, her sweat. But he couldn’t _hear_ her.   
  
The longer Stiles went without hearing Allison, the more afraid he got, and the angrier he got.    
  
Stiles grabbed Melly’s leg and pulled her back and put his weight on her back. Melly snarled and Stiles brought down his paw on her back, cutting through her flesh, cracking several ribs and breaking one cleanly in half.    
  
Melly howled weakly.   
  
Stiles snarled, opened his mouth, and bit down on her back, tearing a large chunk off. Melly squirmed around and managed to draw her legs to her chest and launched Stiles off her, and Stiles crashed on the ground a few yards away. In an instant, however, he was back on his feet.    
  
Melly’s pink eyes glowed and Stiles’ purple ones matched her intensity. They glared at each other for twenty long seconds before Melly made her move. She tried to trick Stiles by zig-zagging her movements, but Stiles read her perfectly and countered her as she zigged, leaving her side wide open. Stiles swept his claws across her side, blood spilling out. Melly snarled and slashed at Stiles’ back before wincing and steadying herself, favoring the unhurt side. She watched Stiles.   
  
Stiles bared his teeth;  the wounds on his back were already healing. Melly’s side was still bleeding profusely, and Melly tried to lick at them but gave up quickly once she realized the wounds were too deep and that it left her incredibly vulnerable.   
  
It didn’t make much of a difference. Melly knew Stiles had reinforcements. She was outnumbered. She did the only logical thing to do at this point.   
  
Melly ran.   
  
Stiles was faster.    
  
Melly heard him catch up so she spun around and tried to bite him, but Stiles’ paw slammed at the top of her head, sending it crashing onto the ground below. Stiles leapt and spun in midair, landing on Melly’s back, pushing the rest of her body on the ground. Melly snarled and twisted her head, snapping at Stiles’ paws.    
  
Stiles’ eyes went from purple to ultraviolet, so bright it distracted Melly for a second. That was all Stiles needed.   
  
Stiles opened his mouth wide, covered Melly’s neck with it, and bit down. Hard. Stiles shook his head, ripping the skin and tearing the muscles in her neck. Blood spurted everywhere out of the freshly sliced veins. The spine snapped in half and Stiles raised his head and Melly’s neck, with her head attached, was in his mouth.    
  
Stiles spat out the head and it rolled to a stop, its hot pink eyes meeting Derek’s red eyes then fading away as the head shifted from wolf to human form.   
  
Stiles looked down at the now-human body of Melly’s, blood dripping from his mouth. He growled then looked up at the sky and let out a great reverberating howl.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Johnny saw Melly’s head get ripped off. He had to admit, he laughed. A little.    
  
_Serves the bitch right. I told you he wasn’t a normal Alpha._   
  
Johnny watched the fight. Melly got some blows on him, but Stilinski dominated her the entire time. Such a young Alpha, and he’s got such control over his wolf already. Johnny knew if they didn’t find a way to put him down, he could legitimately rise to be an incredibly powerful force in the werewolf community.   
  
Then Stilinski howled. Johnny had been leaning against the tree, but now he stood upright, his Alpha eyes glowing involuntarily.    
  
_What is this..._   
  
_Such a powerful howl..._   
  
_I better get out of here._   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Come on, you need to calm down,” Melissa McCall shouted, trying to wrangle a patient back onto a bed. None of the other nurses were back yet.    
  
“Come the fuck on,” Melissa cursed. “Calm the hell --”   
  
The howl hit the hospital. The patient stopped thrashing and went still. Melissa stopped struggling with her as well and listened. The tone filled her with sadness.   
  
“I hope you’re okay, Scott,” Melissa whispered.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Dr. Deaton had been watching the event, the one the news dubbed The Alphas, unfold on the TV. They were replaying the explosion over and over again, showing what Castiel had done, how Dean had disappeared and reappeared yards away. Showing Castiel's sacrifice. It made Dr. Deaton wonder. He’s seen a lot of things, but never anything like this. Just what was that man?   
  
Dr. Deaton was listening to the frantic reporting and the debate that was going on at the anchor desk on the news channel when he heard the howl. He froze.   
  
_So angry. Why are you so angry?_   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
A little deaf boy on the other side of town, oblivious to the strife overtaking Beacon Hills, was playing in his backyard. He was sitting on the swing set, laughing and playing with the dog, throwing a tennis ball. He could see his parents inside, glued to the television.   
  
The dog stopped running after the ball and looked at a direction, then started barking. The boy could see his parents get up and run out the front door.   
  
Then, the boy could feel the vibrations of the howl hit the swing set. The dog barked and barked, then howled. The boy jumped off the swing and put his hands on the metal foundation of the swing set and felt the vibrations travel through his body.   
  
The boy’s brow furrowed and he frowned. He stroked the metal, as if he was trying to reassure it.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Whoa, what the hell is that?” Sam asked, as the howl hit the car, nearly sending it off the road. The Sheriff slammed on the brakes and pulled to the side, listening. Dean heard it as well, but he didn’t really care.   
  
“That would be my son,” the Sheriff said, frowning. “I don’t like this.”   
  
“How would you know? That was a wolf,” Sam said. “That could have been any of them.”   
  
“I think I know the sound of my own son’s voice, thank you very much,” the Sheriff dismissed. Sam threw up his hands and said, “Alright, if you say so.”   
  
Once the howl passed, the Sheriff started driving again.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Josh, Boomer, and Zoe were in the woods with their packs, walking back to their hideouts. The roar of Stiles’ howl reached them and they all paused, their eyes glowing.   
  
“What the hell?” Zoe muttered.   
  
“Who’s that?” Josh replied.   
  
“I don’t know. You feel that?” Zoe said.   
  
Boomer nodded.    
  
“Johnny? Or Melly?”   
  
One of Melly’s Betas groaned and his eyes transformed from his tangerine to the Alpha’s pink eyes. The other Alphas felt the new Alpha presence and they growled. The newest Alpha growled as well and said, “Melly...”   
  
“Is dead,” Boomer finished.   
  
“Well, then that was either Hale or Stilinski,” Zoe said. “I guess she underestimated them.”   
  
“No explosion,” Boomer said.   
  
“Who knows what happened? Melly may not have ever made it to the house. Johnny should be back soon, and we’ll find out what happened.”   
  
“This isn’t good news,” Zoe said. “We’re essentially down to four Alphas. He’s going to need a while to get used to the Alpha’s instincts.”   
  
“We’re better off either way,” Boomer said, shrugging and continuing down the path, his pack following. Josh frowned but nodded in agreement, ignoring the angry growl of the new Alpha. The rest of them followed Boomer.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Scott jolted awake, the sound of Stiles’ howl fresh in his head.    
  
“Ugh, my head,” Scott groaned. Derek was standing, watching Stiles but he quickly turned around and fell to his knees and asked, “Scott, are you feeling okay?”   
  
“Headache,” Scott complained. “Where’s the Alpha?”   
  
“She’s dead, Stiles killed her. You’re safe now.”   
  
“Awesome,” Scott said, then his eyes went wide. “Where’s Allison? That Alpha hurt her bad, where is she?”   
  
Derek’s face fell and his gaze dropped to the ground. Scott saw Jackson, Danny, and Lydia all looking at him, tears on Lydia and Danny’s faces. Jackson looked like a manequinn.   
  
“Guys? Where’s Allison?”   
  
Lydia stifled a sob and buried her face in Jackson’s chest again, and Scott reeled. He could see Allison lying down beyond the three Betas now. Scott scrambled to his feet and blew past Derek and the Betas, dropping to his knees next to Allison.   
  
“Allison! Wake up!”   
  
Derek closed his eyes, trying to ignore the pain in Scott’s voice.   
  
“Allison! Wake up! Allison!” Scott grabbed her shoulders and shook her. When her head lolled around unresponsive, Scott jumped back and gaped at her in horror.   
  
“No... no, Allison, no...”   
  
“I’m so sorry,” Derek whispered. “We got here too late. I’m so sorry.”   
  
Scott crawled back to Allison and picked her head up, trying to see any signs of life in those dead eyes.    
  
“Allison... no,” Scott cried, fat tears dropping onto Allison’s face. Scott pulled her body up and hugged it tightly, crying.    
  
Stiles was still in his wolf form. He was still standing over Melly’s body, watching Scott grieve.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Chris Argent woke up. There was a ringing in his ears, and he groaned. He got up slowly, clutching his chest, which was throbbing intensely. He could even feel the misalignment of his ribs.    
  
_At least one broken. Not good, not good._   
  
Chris looked over at his house and saw the Jeep, Porsche, and the Camaro.   
  
_Oh good, they’re here,_ Chris thought.   
  
Chris stepped over the bush and crossed the street. He saw Stiles standing over the dead Alpha and for a second, he felt pride. _What? Pride? No,_ he shrugged off the feeling and focused on the happiness that this battle was over. He went over to where Victoria was resting and tried to pull her out of the car.   
  
Chris was surprised to see Derek help him carry Victoria out. He was also thankful since his chest was killing him. Chris bent over and checked her pulse but she couldn’t find it.    
  
“Derek, is she still alive?”   
  
“Yeah. I can hear her heartbeat. It’s very faint, however. She needs to go to the hospital. The cops should be on their way.”   
  
“That’s good,” Chris said. “Thank you, Derek.”   
  
Derek nodded, but the look on his face disturbed Chris.    
  
“Where’s Allison and Scott? Are they okay?”   
  
Derek wouldn’t meet Chris’ gaze. Chris narrowed his eyes and repeated the question, leaving Scott out this time. Derek still didn’t reply. Chris turned around and saw Scott rocking back and forth, holding Allison.   
  
Allison’s arm was hanging to the side in an ugly angle. Chris jumped to his feet, ignoring the stabbing pain in his chest, and ran straight for her.   
  
Chris shoved Scott out of the way and grabbed Allison’s face, screaming her name over and over again, sobbing. Scott buried his face into his hands, his knees drawn to his chest.    
  
“I’m sorry, Mr. Argent,” he cried. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect her.”   
  
Chris sobbed loudly and kissed his daughter’s forehead. Then, he got up and faced Stiles.   
  
“This is all YOUR fault,” he screamed. _“Your fucking fault!”_   
  
Stiles whimpered, flattening his ears.    
  
“Hey,” Derek protested, “that’s not --”   
  
“If you hadn’t bitten her, she would be alive right now! You killed her! _You killed my daughter!"_   
  
Stiles drew back, his purple eyes faintly glowing. He let out another whimper before taking off, headed for the woods.   
  
Derek felt regret and pain from Stiles’ wolf. His own anger churned and he stormed over to Chris and grabbed his shirt, his eyes flaring crimson.   
  
“Stiles did _not_ kill Allison! It wouldn’t have made a difference whether she was a human or a werewolf, she’d be dead just the same! This is _not_ Stiles’ fault! Do you understand me?”   
  
Chris glared.   
  
“In fact, if it wasn’t for Stiles, you and your wife would be dead too. He saved your lives. Show him some fucking respect.”   
  
Derek shoved Chris back and he fell on his ass, glowering.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The Sheriff parked behind the Camaro and he got out, then opened the door so Dean and Sam could get out of the back seat.   
  
“Shit, looks like a battle zone,” Dean commented. The humor was absent in his voice. The trio walked up the driveway, to where Victoria was lying down. The Sheriff made to kneel and check her pulse but Derek said, “She’s alive. Barely. She needs to go to the hospital.”  
  
“Good,” the Sheriff said. “The ambulance should be on its way. Everyone else okay?”  
  
“No,” Derek said after a pause. He looked over to where Allison was lying down. Scott was sitting indian style, watching her. Hoping she’d come back.   
  
“Oh, son of a bitch,” the Sheriff said. He pulled off his hat and sighed. Chris was still sitting in the same place Derek had put him in and he was staring at the grass, his cheeks smeared by his tears.  
  
“Allison? She’s dead?” Sam asked.  
  
Derek nodded.   
  
Sam frowned. “God damn it, she was just a kid.” Sam went over to Allison and crouched, looking at her then at Scott.  
  
Dean sighed. “So, what happened to her?” Dean pointed to the body of Melly.  
  
“Stiles killed her,” Derek said. “Tore her head right off.”  
  
“Well, good. Fucking bitch,” Dean said.  
  
Danny looked up at Dean. “Dean, where’s Castiel?”  
  
Dean met Danny’s gaze. “He saved my life,” he said, and an odd smile appeared. “Then he blew up.”  
  
"What? Blew up?"  
  
"Yeah. A bomb was strapped to my chest. I should be dead. Instead, he is."  
  
“But... I thought you guys don’t stay dead.”  
  
“So did I,” Dean said. “So did I.”  
  
Danny could see the pain creep across his face. He let go of Jackson and Lydia and got up. He went over to Dean and pulled him in for a hug.  
  
“Dude, what --”  
  
“I’m sorry, Dean,” Danny said as his grip tightened. Dean smiled nervously, but his resistance melted away. He returned the hug and said, “I’m sorry too. About Allison.”   
  
Dean tried his hardest to fight it off but the tear won. Sam had to look away from Dean so he could stay strong for him. He couldn’t break down right now. Only one Winchester can do that at a time. Never both. It was Dean’s turn this time.  
  
“Derek?” The Sheriff asked. “Where’s Stiles?”  
  
Derek glared at Chris, who was still sitting with his hand rubbing his chest. “He blamed Allison’s death on Stiles and he --” Derek bowled over, clutching his chest.   
  
“Derek? Are you okay?”  
  
“I’m fine. It’s Stiles. He needs me,” Derek said, Stiles’ wolf within screaming and crying.  
  
“What? Is he hurt?”  
  
“No, he’s fine physically. He just needs me. Can you take care of everything here?”  
  
The Sheriff nodded.   
  
“Great. Thank you,” Derek said, pulling off the rest of his clothes quickly. Before he shifted, he added, "Do _not_ go inside the house. There's bombs in there."  
  
Derek shifted and set off in search of Stiles. He had no idea where Stiles had gone, but his wolf knew where he was. Derek just needed to go wherever their wolves pointed him at.   
  
_I’m coming, Stiles. Hold on. I’m coming._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I really hope none of you hate me after this chapter. Either way, I'm hiding far far away where none of you can find me... I hope. Don't hate me too much, k? 
> 
> It just had to happen. Someone had to die. This part was really difficult to write about, emotionally. 
> 
> Threw in the part about the deaf kid because I'm deaf myself and I thought it'd be a little cool to do that.


	11. The Grieving

# Chapter Ten

  
On all fours, Derek ran.    
  
Derek ignored the terrified screams of the residents as he ran past them.   
  
Derek jumped over cars, not caring if he spun them out. He didn’t care if a car or two crashed. Minor crashes, nothing major.   
  
Derek didn’t care about any of them.   
  
There was only one person in the world Derek cared about right now.   
  
Stiles.   
  
The pain in Derek’s chest grew. And he knew the pain was nothing compared to what Stiles was feeling.   
  
Stiles needed Derek.   
  
What Derek didn’t realize, because he was so focused on finding Stiles, was that he needed Stiles just as much as Stiles needed him.   
  
Derek stopped running. He had reached the treeline. Stiles was somewhere in there -- it made sense for the wolf to seek out its natural habitat. He would have done the same if he was in his shoes.   
  
_I’m coming, Stiles._   
  
Derek entered the woods.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Alright, guys, back up! Back up!” The Sheriff shouted.   
  
Rodriguez was holding one end of the tape and Evans was unspooling it, creating a barrier between the Argents’ house and the neighbors and the reporters that crowded the sidewalk.   
  
“Get out of the way, guys! Move!”   
  
The ambulance blared and the crowd parted, making room for the ambulance. The Sheriff realized immediately that the ambulance wouldn’t be able to get much closer because of the cars that were in its way -- the Sheriff’s patrol car, the Porsche, the Camaro, and the Jeep.    
  
“Fuck.”   
  
The Sheriff looked around. He saw an opening on the side and walked over to it, waving at the driver of the ambulance.   
  
“Hey! Around here! Come over here!”   
  
The driver got the hint, drove around the Sheriff’s patrol car, and jumped the curb. The ambulance stopped just a few yards away from Allison’s body.    
  
The sheriff looked at the pack. Lydia’s head was on Danny’s lap, her face buried, hidden from everyone. Her body was wrapped around Danny’s back, and her legs were tangled with Scott’s. Scott’s head was resting on Danny’s shoulder. Scott was in a trance, staring at nothing. Danny was slowly rubbing both of their backs.    
  
Jackson was standing near them, looking at Allison’s body. He was the only one who seemed remotely competent; the only one who was alert.   
  
“Jackson, come here.”   
  
Jackson looked at the Sheriff then walked over to him. “Yeah, Sheriff?”   
  
“Jackson, the ambulances needs room to get out when they’re done here. So, I need you to move all the cars, starting with mine. Park them on the other side of the road, properly.”   
  
“I don’t have the keys to the --”   
  
“Their clothes are here,” the Sheriff interrupted. “The keys should be in them. And here’s mine. Do it as quickly as you can, there’s another ambulance coming.”   
  
Jackson nodded and went through Derek’s jeans for his keys. He searched Stiles’ clothes for his keys but couldn’t find them.   
  
“Jackson,” Danny said. “They keys are still in the Jeep.”   
  
Jackson looked at the Jeep and realized the engine was still on. “Oh, okay. Thanks, Danny. You going to be okay?”   
  
“Yeah, I will be. Not like you’re going anywhere anyway?” Danny chuckled. “Only a few yards.”   
  
“Right,” Jackson said. He gave Danny a small smile before he got up and jogged over to the Sheriff’s car.   
  
“This is a bad day,” Dean said. Sam nodded. Dean rubbed his mouth and sighed. “I wish Cas was here. He’d be able to bring her back.”   
  
“Could he? I thought he didn’t have enough grace.”   
  
“He’d find a way to do it anyway,” Dean said firmly.    
  
“Dean?”   
  
Dean looked at Sam. “No. Not here. Not now.”   
  
“Dean --”   
  
“I said _no_ , Sammy.”   
  
Sam sighed. Dean leaned back against the crushed rental car. He was looking at Chris, who was lying down at the same spot Derek left him at, breathing raggedly. Dean shook his head. “Got to be tough for him. Losing his daughter and his wife is lying down here, pretty much dead.”   
  
Sam frowned. “She’s not dead.”   
  
“Sure looks like it to me.”   
  
The Sheriff directed the EMTs to Chris, but he waved them off. “No, take care of my wife first,” he said. Most of them moved on to Victoria, apart from one. He knelt and asked, “Where’s the pain?”   
  
“My wife.”   
  
“They’re taking care of her,” the EMT said. “She’ll be fine. Tell me, where’s the pain?”   
  
“Chest. Can’t breathe much.”   
  
The EMT pulled out a scissor from his kit and cut Chris’ shirt open.    
  
“Jesus, that’s a serious bruise,” the EMT said, staring at the hand-shaped bruise Stiles had left, along with a fresh bruise overlapping it. He pressed lightly on the ribs and Chris winced.   
  
“Definitely broken. Several of them.”   
  
“No shit,” Chris muttered. The EMT scowled. Chris leaned over to watch the EMTs wrap Victoria’s neck with a brace and drag her over on a stretcher. They pulled her up and rolled her to the back of the ambulance.   
  
“What about my daughter?”    
  
The EMT swallowed. “Is she the one...?”   
  
The pain in Chris’ eyes confirmed it. “I’m sorry, sir, I don’t know. You’ll have to ask the Sheriff that.”   
  
The second ambulance arrived just as Jackson parked the Jeep. The back of the ambulance opened wide and Melissa McCall jumped off.   
  
“Scott!”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Johnny.”   
  
Johnny stepped out of the woods and walked toward the table. The Alphas were all sitting down, including the new one.   
  
“Hey, Boomer,” Johnny replied. He looked over at the new Alpha. “So, you’re Melly’s replacement?”   
  
The newbie growled.    
  
“Well, I hope you’re not as stupid as Melly is. Should I call you Melly II or do you have a name?”   
  
“Aden Duncan,” the Alpha growled, his pink eyes standing out against his dark brown skin. “What the fuck happened to Melly?”   
  
Johnny sat down on his chair. He sighed and looked at the other Alphas. He handed over the detonator to Boomer.   
  
“Well, I followed Melly to the Argents’ house. They were in there for a while before two of the Hale Betas arrived. One of the was the Argent girl. They went inside. I could hear fighting. It was odd, though. I heard Melly and the Hale Betas, but not yours, Boomer.”   
  
“What are you saying?” Boomer growled.   
  
“I’m pretty sure Melly killed your Betas,” Johnny replied. “The Argents arrived just as the fight moved outside. Melly was alone, your Betas never came outside.”   
  
“That doesn’t mean Melly killed them,” Aden said. “That just --”   
  
“You’re beginning to sound just as stupid as Melly,” Johnny growled. “The Hale Betas were going up against two Betas and an Alpha. Do you really think they would have been able to kill the Betas? With an Alpha around?”   
  
“Maybe,” Aden tried.   
  
“Unlike your pack,” Boomer snarled, “my Betas are not weaklings. They were two of my best men.”   
  
Aden growled threateningly, but Boomer’s growl overpowered his.   
  
“What happened next?” Josh asked, ignoring the growl building in Boomer’s chest.   
  
“The Argents joined in the fight, and I think the woman’s dead. Not sure, but she wasn’t moving after Melly threw her through the back windshield of a car. Either way, both of the Argents are at least seriously hurt.    
  
“Then, Melly killed one of the Betas. The Argent girl. She actually died saving the other one, it was rather heroic. Touching. I’d have shed a tear if they didn’t kill most of my pack.”   
  
“So... Melly lost to the other Beta?” Zoe asked, her eyebrows raised.   
  
“No. Just as Melly killed her, Stilinski arrived. They... They fought, if you could call it a fight. You’d have to be there to understand, man. He was livid. I could smell his anger from where I was, which was pretty far. Never smelt anything like that before.”   
  
“And you didn’t help her?”   
  
“No, I didn’t, Aden.”   
  
“Why the fuck not?”   
  
“Because, unlike her, I’m not going to underestimate the boy. I’ve fought him once, and I was lucky to make it out alive. Besides, the rest of his pack arrived not long after he did.”   
  
Aden growled again. “How did she die?”   
  
“Quite pathetically, to be honest,” Johnny snorted. “Stilinski dominated her. She never had a chance. He was faster, stronger, and smarter than her. He tore her apart. She couldn’t even run away properly. The idiot. She tried to run when she was hobbled. Stilinski ran her down and tore her head off, literally, with his teeth.”   
  
“What about the howl?”   
  
“Yeah, that was Stilinski too. It was bizarre. Being that close, that feeling... I can’t describe it.”   
  
“We felt it too,” Boomer said.    
  
“I’m not surprised,” Johnny said. “But you weren’t there. You didn’t feel it from that close.”   
  
“What about the bombs? Were they installed?” Aden asked, changing the subject.   
  
Johnny shrugged. “No clue. They were in there long enough before the Hales arrived, so maybe. I didn’t press the button because there wasn’t a point; everyone was outside.”   
  
“Any point in pushing this thing now?”   
  
“Probably not,” Zoe said. “If the Argents are injured, they’ll be headed to the hospital. If they’re dead, then they’re dead. House should be empty either way. We’d be blowing up nothing. Maybe we can save it for later.”   
  
“Agreed,” Josh said.   
  
“So how did the presentation go?” Johnny asked.   
  
“Rather well, I think. I think we won them over after Boomer shared his story.”   
  
“Oh? I missed that?” Johnny grumbled. “Damn it.”   
  
Boomer shot him a glare. Johnny grinned and blew him a kiss.   
  
Zoe rolled her eyes. “How long are we giving them before we start the next step?”   
  
“This is a town-wide thing. Everyone’s going to have an opinion. I don’t know if they’re going to meet tonight or tomorrow, so we’ll give them two days,” Josh replied.   
  
“Sounds good,” Johnny said.    
  
“Let’s meet again tomorrow. This has been a hectic day, rest would be nice,” Josh said, getting up and leaving the table. Aden immediately left to rejoin his pack. Zoe got up and walked over to Boomer and said, “I’m really sorry about what happened to your family.”    
  
Boomer grunted. “You too.” Zoe shook her head and left with a small smile, leaving Johnny and Boomer alone.   
  
Boomer crossed his arms, staring at Johnny.    
  
“What?”   
  
“You seem to be in better spirits,” Boomer observed. Johnny smiled sheepishly, “Yeah, I suppose so. I don’t know why but watching Melly get torn apart was far more satisfying than I thought it would be.”   
  
“I just wish I could have done it myself,” Boomer growled. Johnny smiled. He got up, climbed over the table, and settled down on Boomer’s lap, his legs wrapped around his back. Boomer growled again, his red eyes appearing.   
  
“Put those away,” Johnny whined, dropping his gaze. “I just... wanted to thank you.”   
  
“For what?” Boomer asked, his arms still crossed.   
  
“For taking care of me. I shouldn’t have fallen apart like that, especially in front of the others.”   
  
Boomer’s arms unfolded and he sighed. “Johnny, you lost nearly your entire pack. I think any of us would have done the same in your situation.”   
  
“Not you,” Johnny whispered.   
  
Boomer laughed. “Definitely me too. I can’t even begin to imagine what I would do if I ever lost my pack again, especially my sister. I don’t ever want to experience that feeling again.” Boomer lifted Johnny’s chin so his eyes were level with his. “It’s the worst feeling in the world, and you were trapped in it. That’s why I took care of you.”   
  
“Is that the only reason?” Johnny asked, hope in his eyes.   
  
Boomer sighed. “No, it’s not. You and I both know what our wolves want. I’d like to do this, I really would. Just not right now. I need to focus on getting my pack a safe place to call home. Their safety is my priority.”   
  
“I get it,” Johnny said. “I do. I’m just not sure what I’m supposed to do now. Rebuild my pack? Am I supposed to pick up some random people from the town and turn them? Add a bunch of people I don’t know to my pack? A bunch of new Betas, all of them strangers? It’s never going to feel the same. I just don’t know what to do. The only thing I know right now is that I want you. I knew it from the moment I saw you, you’re my --”   
  
Boomer put his finger on Johnny’s lips. “Don’t say it. Not right now. Please.”   
  
Johnny looked down again, his eyes filled with sadness.   
  
“Hey, look at me," Boomer said, lifting Johnny's chin. “I’m not saying no. I’m just saying not yet. After we survive this, after we take this town, we’ll get together, and we’ll see where we go from here. It’s not going to be easy, two Alphas together. It’s --”   
  
“Doable,” Johnny finished. “I met Hale and Stilinski, remember? They’re mates, and they’re both Alphas. They’re making it work. I don’t know how, but it’s possible. I know we can do it too.”   
  
“Okay,” Boomer said. “We’ll make it work.”   
  
Johnny smiled and hugged Boomer. Slowly, Boomer returned the hug.   
  
“Thank you,” Johnny whispered.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Derek felt Stiles’ presence get stronger the more he ran. The stronger the presence was, the harder he ran.    
  
_I’m almost there, Stiles, just hold on. I’m almost there._   
  
Derek jumped on a fallen log, launched himself off it and used a branch to jettison himself further. He landed, dodged a tree that was directly ahead of him and sped up.   
  
Stiles was so deep into the woods; Derek had never been to this area before.   
  
Stiles’ agony throbbed inside Derek’s ribs. Derek cursed himself for not being there with him at the moment. He cursed himself for not being able to hold Stiles, to tell him that it was okay.    
  
Derek jumped over another log and suddenly, there was Stiles lying on the ground, curled up in a fetal position. Derek instantly reverted to his human form and ran to him.   
  
“Stiles!”    
  
Derek dropped to his knees and pulled Stiles off the ground. Stiles immediately wrapped his arms around Derek’s chest and sobbed.   
  
“D-- Derek, Derek,” he whispered.   
  
“I’m here,” Derek answered, holding him tight. “I’m here. It’s okay.”   
  
“Derek, I killed her, she’s dead because of me, Scott’s’ going to hate me, I fucked everything up, I --”   
  
“No, Stiles!”   
  
“It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have bitten her, I --”   
  
“Stiles!”   
  
Stiles wouldn’t meet Derek’s eyes, he just buried his face deeper into Derek’s chest. Derek pulled him up until his head was resting on his shoulder. “Stiles, listen to me. It’s not your fault. At all.”   
  
Stiles just cried harder.   
  
“Stiles, I promise you, Scott won’t be mad at you. He knows you did your best. You saved his life. If it wasn’t for you, Scott would be dead too. Look at me, Stiles.”   
  
Instead, Stiles dug into Derek’s neck and tried to merge his body with Derek’s. Derek stroked Stiles’ head and whispered, “Stiles, look at me, please.”   
  
Reluctantly, Stiles met Derek’s gaze. Derek had tears falling down his cheeks too. Stiles closed his eyes and his forehead fell the bridge of Derek’s nose and more tears came out of his eyes. Derek cupped his hands on Stiles’ cheeks and lifted him up and said, “Open your eyes, Stiles.”   
  
Stiles opened his eyes.   
  
“Stiles, it wasn’t your fault. There was nothing you could have done. Fuck Chris, he’s just upset. He was wrong to blame you. It’s not your fault. Do you understand me?”   
  
Stiles whimpered. “But --”   
  
_“No buts,”_ Derek said. “It’s not your fault, period.”   
  
“But Allison’s dead,” Stiles whispered. “Allison’s dead.”   
  
“I know,” Derek said as another tear fell down his cheek. “She’s gone. But it’s not any of our faults. Don’t blame yourself, please.”   
  
“Scott’s going to be so upset. I couldn’t save her.”   
  
“Stiles, he’s not going to blame you. He won’t. He knows better than that. Please, Stiles, stop beating yourself up. It’s not your fault.”   
  
Stiles sniffled. “Okay.”   
  
Derek smiled sadly. “Okay. I need you to put yourself together. We can’t break apart now. Our pack needs us. This town needs us. So, get it all out now. Everything. Then we're going to put our war faces on, we’re going to go back into town, and we’re going to kick their asses. Okay?”   
  
“Okay,” Stiles replied. Derek laid down on the ground, Stiles’ head on his chest. Derek ran his fingers through Stiles’ hair and wrapped his legs around Stiles’ legs.    
  
Stiles’ sobbing began again, and Derek’s tears joined in.   
  
They didn’t stop for a while.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Scott!”   
  
Melissa briskly walked onto the grass, searching for Scott. She found him peeling himself off Danny, looking like he was thrown through the car wash a thousand times.   
  
“Scott, I’m so glad you’re okay,” Melissa murmured as Scott got to his feet and ran for his mother.   
  
“Mom,” Scott cried, hugging Melissa tightly.    
  
“Hey, are you okay?” Melissa asked, overwhelmed by the tightness of Scott’s arms. She returned the hug and said, “It’s okay, everything’s --”   
  
Melissa saw Allison.   
  
“... okay,” Melissa finished lamely. Scott’s body started heaving as he sobbed. Melissa stared at Allison’s body. Lydia was looking at them now, as was Danny and Jackson. The Sheriff groaned then yelled at his officers to cover up Allison. Melissa watched as Evans and Rodriguez placed a thin white sheet over Allison, shielding her from the world.   
  
Melissa wanted to say something, but what could she say that would make this better?    
  
“I’m sorry,” Melissa offered, holding Scott tighter. “I’m so sorry.”   
  
“Can we just go home? Please?”   
  
“Yeah, of course we can,” Melissa said. “Sheriff? I’m going to take my son home.”   
  
“That’s probably a good idea,” the Sheriff replied. “You all should go home now. I’m sure you and your parents have something to talk about.”   
  
“Yeah, I’ll take you guys home,” Jackson offered, pulling Danny and Lydia off the ground. Jackson led them all to his Porsche. Before they got inside, the Sheriff shouted, “I know it’s not the best timing, but eight o’clock, town meeting. At the school. You guys should be there too.”   
  
Jackson nodded. “Yeah, we’ll be there.”   
  
Jackson left, headed for Scott’s house first.   
  
The EMTs were wheeling Chris into the second ambulance when he shouted for the Sheriff.   
  
“Sheriff! What are you going to do with her?”   
  
The Sheriff sighed. “For now, we’re going to send her to the morgue. There’s nothing more to be done until all of this is done. We’ll talk afterwards.”   
  
“Okay. I’m going to be at the meeting tonight.”   
  
“No, you’re not. You’re going to stay at the hospital,” the Sheriff said firmly. “You need to recover, and I’m not really sure if you being around everyone else is a good idea. The Alphas made a pretty convincing argument against you guys.”   
  
Chris scowled. “Fine, then. Keep me updated.”   
  
The Sheriff nodded then motioned for the EMTs to keep going. They wheeled him into the ambulance and they left, following Victoria’s ambulance.   
  
“What now?” Dean asked, walking up to the Sheriff.   
  
“I don’t know,” the Sheriff said just as another ambulance arrived. The sheriff directed the EMTs to Allison and Melly’s bodies and said, “Morgue for those two.”   
  
“I need a favor from you two,” the Sheriff said, turning to Dean and Sam. “I need you two to drive Stiles and Derek’s cars to my house. You do remember where my house is, right?”   
  
Sam nodded.   
  
“I’ll send someone with you guys so he can give you a ride to your car afterwards. If you guys see Derek and Stiles, tell them to stay away from the Hale house. It’s too isolated, I don’t want anyone there until all this bullshit is done. We need them around.”   
  
“Yeah, we can do that,” Dean said. “Dibs on the Camaro.”   
  
Sam rolled his eyes but took the keys from the Sheriff, and tossed Derek’s to Dean. Sam picked up Derek’s clothes and the remains of Stiles’ and carried them to the Jeep.    
  
“Rodriguez! Go with them, then take them to the diner.”   
  
“Yes sir,” Rodriguez said.   
  
The Sheriff watched them all leave then turned around just in time to watch the EMTs wheel Allison’s body pass him.   
  
_Damn it. Just a child. That could have easily been Stiles. No. That won’t happen. I won’t let it._   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Derek finally felt Stiles’ body calm down, his breathing return to normal. His outpour was over. Derek sat up, pulling Stiles up so he was nestled in between Derek’s legs.    
  
“Are you okay now?”   
  
Stiles nodded. “I just want to go home.”   
  
Derek wiped away the tear streaks that tarnished Stiles’ face. “Yeah, we’re going to go home.”   
  
“I want to get in my bed and never leave,” Stiles said, looking at Derek’s eyes. Derek smiled. “So do I.” He kissed Stiles tenderly and said, “I love you.”   
  
“I love you too, Derek,” Stiles replied. “Promise me you’re never going to leave me.”   
  
“I promise,” Derek replied. “I’ll always be here. With you. Forever.”   
  
Stiles nodded vigorously, as if he was demanding that be true. Derek smiled and kissed Stiles again and asked, “You ready to go back?”   
  
“Not really,” Stiles admitted. “But you're right. We have to.”   
  
Derek laughed and pulled Stiles in for a hug. “Yeah, we do. Let’s go.”   
  
Their hug lingered before Stiles exhaled and let go. He stood up, pulled Derek up, then shifted into his Alpha form and set off. Derek sighed in relief then shifted and caught up with him.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Melissa was leaning back on the couch, Scott’s head on her lap. Stroking his hair, Melissa asked even though she knew she shouldn’t put her son through this again, “Will you tell me what happened?”   
  
Scott sniffled. “We heard about the meeting at the school, so we went over there to pick up some stuff. Ammo. Just in case. We were talking about... mating.”   
  
“Sex? I thought you guys were already --”   
  
“No, it’s more than sex, Mom. Like Derek and Stiles. Becoming mates. For life.”   
  
“Oh,” Melissa said, even though she wasn’t completely sure she understood. Scott continued, “When we got there, we could smell them. We found two of them, dead, in the kitchen. Then... we saw her. Melly.” Melissa could hear anger in his voice. Anger and fear.   
  
“I tried to protect Allison. But she wouldn’t leave me alone with Melly. I tried to tell her to leave, to save herself. She wouldn’t. Then Melly threw me through that wall and I blacked out. I woke up and her Dad was there. We fought her. But she’s too strong.   
  
“She had me pinned. She was going to kill me...,” Scott trailed off. Melissa stopped stroking his hair. Hesitantly, she asked, “What happened?”   
  
Scott exhaled and wiped a tear away. “Allison jumped in front of me. She wasn’t supposed to die, it should have been me. She shouldn’t be dead. I should be. She saved my life, even when I didn’t want her to. I didn’t want her to.”   
  
Melissa closed her eyes, holding her tears back. _Thank you, Allison. I’m so sorry for being selfish, but thank you for letting me keep my son._   
  
“Then Stiles came. I would be dead right now if it wasn’t for him. Oh, god,” Scott said, getting up. “I need to talk to Stiles.” He patted his pockets, searching for his phone. “Fuck, where’s my --”    
  
Melissa handed his phone over to Scott and said, “Tell him thank you for me, please.”   
  
Scott nodded and dialed Stiles’ number.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The phone rang.   
  
“Yeah?”   
  
“Jackson, where are you?”   
  
“Dad, I’m just about to drop Lydia off at her home, then I’m dropping Danny off. I’ll be home in 20 minutes.”   
  
“No, come home right now.”   
  
Jackson rolled his eyes and looked at the rearview mirror. Lydia and Danny were bunched together, watching him.   
  
“Dad, they need to see their --”   
  
“Jackson, their parents are here too. We’re all here. Get home.”   
  
“Oh. Okay, I’m coming.”   
  
Jackson hung up the phone and made a right turn. Lydia and Danny stared at him with puzzled looks. “Where are we going?”   
  
“Our parents are at my place,” Jackson replied. “Guess they’ve been talking.”   
  
“Crap,” Danny muttered. Lydia swallowed. “I really don’t want to do this right now.”   
  
“Not sure we have a choice, Lydia,” Danny said. “Might as well just get it over with.”   
  
“But --”   
  
“It’ll be fine, Lydia,” Jackson said. “If they start bitching at us, I’ll tell them all to fuck off. They’ll understand, even if they didn’t know Allison. They’ll understand. I’ll make them understand.”   
  
“Okay,” Lydia whispered, dropping her head on Danny’s shoulder. “Okay.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Sam pulled the Jeep into the driveway and Dean parked the Camaro by the curb. They both got out of the car and waited for Rodriguez to stop. Dean shifted on his feet uneasily, grabbing Sam’s attention.   
  
“Dean? What’s wrong?”   
  
“Nothing. Just...,” Dean fished his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Sam. “You go ahead and pick up my Baby, I’ll wait here for Derek and Stiles.”   
  
Sam raised an eyebrow, catching the keys. “You sure? How do you even know they’re coming here?”   
  
“Yeah, I am,” Dean said with a shrug. Sam’s other eyebrow joined the first one, scrunching up his forehead. _Probably wants his space._ “Alright, I’ll come back after I pick the car up,” Sam said, handing Stiles’ keys over to Dean.    
  
Rodriguez stopped in front of them and Sam went over to the passenger side and hopped in. “Dean’s staying, let’s go.”    
  
Rodriguez shrugged and took off, headed for the diner.   
  
Dean sighed. He walked to the Jeep and leaned against the corner of the hood, facing the garage door. After a few minutes of silence, Dean started whispering.   
  
“Hey, God? I... I just... Why? Why did you take him from me?” Dean sighed. “I don’t know what you want me to do. What am I supposed to do? Save the world? I’ve already done that. What else do you want me to do?”   
  
Dean slid down until he was sitting down, his head resting against the headlight.   
  
“I’m so sick of this, walking around not knowing what the hell I’m supposed to do. At least I had Sam and Cas. Now you took Cas from me. And you did it right after I realized...,” Dean rubbed his eyes and groaned. “Seriously, God? You made me fall in love with a fucking angel? Is that even possible? Is that even allowed? Is that why you took him? Because I’m not supposed to fall for him? Angels and humans aren’t allowed to do that or what?”   
  
Dean thumped his head against the headlight and groaned.   
  
“You’ve taken everything from me. My parents. My friends. Cas. You take everything away. And you still demand more from me. Why? Why me? What more could you possibly want from me? Am I supposed to die a thousand times before you’re satisfied and you’re done with your fucking toy?”   
  
Dean banged his head against the headlight again. “I _know_ you can hear me, God. Stop being such an asshole and _talk_ to me. Tell me what you want me to do. So I can do it and get it over with, so I can finally fucking die and be with my friends and my family again. Be with Cas.”   
  
Dean hit the headlight again. And again, and again until it finally shattered, the shards falling around Dean.   
  
“Oh, fuck,” Dean muttered. He scooted away from the glass and sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “God damn it, God.” He caught himself chuckling at that line, thankful he wasn’t bleeding. “I don’t get why you have to wait until the worst possible moment to take Cas away. Why aren’t you giving him back? You did it every time before, why not now? What did I do wrong? Why do --”   
  
“What are you doing?”   
  
Dean jerked in surprise, looking for the source of the voice. “Jesus, Derek. Creep much? And where are your clothes?”   
  
“In the Jeep, apparently. How did it get here?”   
  
“Sam drove it. He's getting my car now."    
  
Derek narrowed his eyes. “And my car?”   
  
"Don’t worry, I know how much you care about your baby, I took care of her.”   
  
Derek nodded. “Can I have my keys?”   
  
Dean took them out of his pocket and tossed them over to him. “Hey, Derek?”   
  
“Yeah?”   
  
“Is Stiles okay?”   
  
Derek grimaced. “No, but he will be. He’s up in his bedroom right now. Resting.” Dean nodded, understanding. Derek glared at the concrete by Dean and asked, “Where did that glass come from?”   
  
“Yeah, about that. Sorry, I kind of broke one of the headlights? I just...”   
  
Derek raised an eyebrow, looking over the jeep. “Which headlight?”   
  
“What do you mean which headlight? Are you blind? That one,” Dean pointed to the headlight he broke, only to find it perfectly fine. The glass was there, clean, with no cracks or any irregularities of any kind. Dean stared.   
  
“Dean?” Derek asked.   
  
Dean broke out in hysterical laughter, but Derek could smell the anger he was barely holding back. When Dean’s laughter finally died out, he said, “Fuck you, God, just fuck you.”   
  
Derek raised his eyebrows but decided to not pry further. “You have Stiles’ keys, right? Unlock the door and get in. I’ll be there in a minute,” he said as he walked over to the door of the Jeep to pick out his clothes. Dean couldn’t help but take a glance at Derek’s ass as it bounced with every step. It only made him miss Castiel more.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles was burrowed into his sheets. He heard Derek’s footsteps coming up the stairs and he untucked the sheets to make room for him. Derek came in the room and went straight for the bed, tossing the pile of clothes in his arms on the floor, and got in. He wrapped his arms around Stiles’ waist and snuggled.   
  
Stiles melted into Derek as their bodies touched. He tangled his fingers up with Derek’s and squeezed, making sure he really existed. That he was real. The breath on Stiles’ neck as Derek nosed his neck convinced him. Derek kissed Stiles’ shoulder and neck several times before craning his head over Stiles' shoulder and gaping at him.   
  
“What, Derek?”   
  
“Dean’s downstairs, by the way.”   
  
“Yeah, I heard.”    
  
“Stiles.”   
  
“Derek,” Stiles whispered, looking back at him.   
  
“You need to take a shower. Her blood is still all over you.” Stiles shuddered and gagged as the realization hit him. “Fuck. Burn those sheets,” Stiles said as he climbed out of them and went to the bathroom. He stopped before he entered and said, “Derek?”   
  
“I’m coming,” Derek said, joining him. They went into the bathroom. Stiles turned on the water and stepped into the shower, closely followed by Derek. Derek helped wash the blood off Stiles slowly, looking into his eyes. Stiles responded by kissing him and whispered, “I need you inside me.”   
  
Derek nodded, kissing Stiles again, their tongues getting some action this time. Stiles felt Derek’s cock grow hard against his belly and he reached down to grip it.    
  
“Fuck,” Stiles groaned. “I need you so bad.”   
  
Derek picked Stiles up and pinned him against the shower wall and growled, “I’m here. I’m here.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Dean laid down across the couch, his legs crossed. He was scowling at the ceiling, pretending it was the sky.    
  
“What was that?” Dean whispered. “Is that supposed to be some kind of a joke? Are you trying to piss me off? Why? _Why?”_   
  
Of course, no answer came. Dean did his best impersonation of a growl.   
  
The phone rang.   
  
Dean looked at the phone, raising his eyebrow. It rang a few more times. He shrugged and picked it up.   
  
“Stilinski residence, Dean Winchester speaking.”   
  
“Uh, hi Dean. It’s Scott. Stiles isn’t answering his cell, is he home?”   
  
“Yeah, he and Derek are here. Hold on.” Dean shouted, “Stiles! Scott’s on the phone!” A few seconds later, Stiles shouted back, “I’m in the shower!”   
  
“Okay,” Scott said. “Just wanted to know where he was. I’m coming over. I need to see him.”   
  
“He’s coming here!” Dean shouted.   
  
“Okay! See you soon, Scott!” Stiles shouted back.   
  
The line went dead. Dean hung up the phone and sighed. _That seemed far too normal of a conversation considering what just happened,_ Dean thought but shrugged. He sat down on one of the dining table chairs and rubbed his temples.    
  
Dean heard the familiar engine of the Impala and smiled. “My baby,” he whispered as he went outside to meet Sam.   
  
“Hey baby,” Dean whispered, hugging the Impala. Sam rolled his eyes as he came out of the car and said, “They here yet?’   
  
“Yeah.”   
  
They went inside and plopped down on the couch. Awkward silence filled the air until Dean grabbed the remote off the coffee table and turned the TV on. The news blared, replaying the events of the meeting and the incident at the Argents' house.    
  
“So, what do we do now?” Sam asked.   
  
“I don’t know. Go to the town meeting?”   
  
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. We don’t live here, they may not take our advice too well, considering everything.”   
  
Dean sighed. “Right.”    
  
The Winchesters watched the TV in silence until someone banged at the door. A voice shouted from outside the door, “It’s Scott!”   
  



	12. The Determination

# Chapter Eleven

  
“You guys ready?”   
  
Danny and Lydia shook their heads and Jackson sighed. “I know. We have to do it anyway. Come on.” Jackson opened the front door and entered his home, the others following closely.    
  
“Jackson! Kitchen!”   
  
Lydia and Danny looked at each other just as Jackson entered the kitchen. The parents were standing around the island counter, all of them looking at Jackson. Jackson could smell the various emotions rolling off them -- most of it was fear and happiness but there were underlying tones of anger.   
  
“Hey Mom, Dad,” Jackson said. “Hello, Mrs. Mahaelani. Mr. and Mrs. Martin.”   
  
“Jackson,” they all said in unison.    
  
Lydia and Danny entered the kitchen and Danny’s mother went straight for Danny and grabbed him and held him tightly. Danny squeaked but hugged her back.    
  
“Oh, Danny, I’m so glad you’re okay,” Mrs. Mahaelani whispered. Danny smiled and replied, “I’m fine, Mom.”   
  
Lydia’s parents were glancing at each other, trying to figure out who should go to Lydia first. Lydia rolled her eyes and hugged them both at the same time, saying, “I love you both.”   
  
“I’m really sorry about Allison,” Lydia’s mother said. “I know you two were best friends. It’s horrible.” Lydia’s father nodded, staring at his daughter wistfully.    
  
Jackson stood on one end of the counter, staring at his parents. They looked back at him, but none of them made a move toward each other. Then, Jackson’s father said, “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”   
  
“About what? The werewolf thing? Would you have believed me?”   
  
Jackson’s father stammered but his mother chimed in, “If you’re able to prove it, we would have. You should have told us.”   
  
Jackson shrugged. “I didn’t tell anyone except Danny because I was protecting the pack. The less people know, the safer we are.”   
  
“We’re your _parents_ ,” Jackson’s father stated. “You should have told us.”   
  
“No, I shouldn’t have,” Jackson replied coldly. “This isn’t something I can just tell everyone I know about. I kept this a secret to keep my pack safe. I’m not going to apologize for that.”   
  
“Mr. Whittemore,” Lydia tried. “I know it’s hard to understand, but this is something we needed to keep to ourselves. Like Jackson said, the less people that know about us, the safer we are. People will freak out if they find out werewolves exist, and they’ll do things that’ll endanger us. There’s a reason werewolves keep their existence a secret.”   
  
Mr. Whittemore glowered at Lydia. “Obviously, those guys aren’t keeping it a secret anymore.”   
  
“Obviously,” Lydia replied. “They want a town to themselves. They’re willing to do anything to ensure that, including blow up things and... kill people.”   
  
Mr. Whittemore stared at Lydia before she added, "As you can see, the more people know about werewolves, the more dangerous things get."   
  
“Lydia,” Mrs. Martin said, “how did you become a werewolf? I mean, I don’t understand.”   
  
Lydia sighed. “Remember that night at the dance? It was a werewolf that attacked me. That’s how I became one.”   
  
“And you?” Jackson’s father asked. Jackson shrugged again and said, “After we helped Derek kill his uncle, I asked him for the bite.”   
  
“You _helped_ kill someone?” Mrs. Whittemore gasped.   
  
“You _asked_ for the bite?” Mr. Whittemore asked.   
  
“Yeah, I did,” Jackson replied.    
  
“Why would you do that?”   
  
“At first, I did it because I wanted to be the best. It was a stupid reason, but... now, I’m glad I did, because now I found a group of people that I belong to,” Jackson said. Then he added, “I found a family.”   
  
“You _have_ a family,” Jackson’s mother said. Jackson scoffed and rolled his eyes, looking away from his parents. “And yet, my pack’s been more of a family to me than either of you ever have.”   
  
Mrs. Whittemore drew back like she had been slapped and Mr. Whittemore stepped forward, getting red with anger. “Jackson, I forbid you from seeing your _friends_ ,” he said, spitting out that word as if it was poison, “You’re grounded. You’re not --”   
  
“Please,” Jackson said. “You’re not going to stop me from seeing my pack. If you want to, you can try, but you’ll fail.”   
  
“Jackson,” Danny said. “We don’t need this right now. Just --”   
  
“ _Stay out of this, Danny,”_ Mr. Whittemore snarled. “Jackson --”   
  
“No, you stay the fuck out of my pack’s business,” Jackson growled. “My friends and I are trying to fucking _protect_ this town. You need to back the fuck up.” Jackson’s eyes glowed his blue eyes and Mr. Whittemore stepped back, the anger rushing away, replaced by fear.    
  
“Get out. All of you, get out.”   
  
Jackson promptly turned around and walked out of the kitchen. Danny and Lydia stared at his back before turning to their parents.    
  
“I said get out. _All of you_ ,” Mr. Whittemore repeated.   
  
“Let’s go,” Jackson said from the foyer. “We’re obviously not welcome here anymore.”   
  
Lydia and Danny sighed and left. Their parents lingered for a few seconds before leaving as well.   
  
“Danny!”   
  
“Yeah, Mom?”   
  
“How... When did...,” Danny’s mother stuttered, and Danny smiled. “Mom, Derek gave me the bite when we found out about the Alphas’ plan to invade the town. I wasn’t planning on become a werewolf, but I knew I had to. There’s just too many of them and not enough of us. I’m sorry.”   
  
“No, don’t be,” Mrs. Mahaelani said. “I’m proud of you. I raised you right. I’m not sure how I feel about all this, but you’re doing the right thing, protecting the town. Protecting the weak. Protecting me. Thank you, Danny.”   
  
Danny watched a tear escape his mother’s eyes and smiled. “Thanks, Mom,” he said and he hugged her. With her arms wrapped around her son, she said, “Thank you too, Jackson. Despite what your parents said, you’re doing the right thing too. Thank you.”   
  
Jackson gave her a quick smile before looking away. Lydia smiled then looked at her parents. “Are you guys... mad?”   
  
Lydia’s mother sighed. “No. It’s not your fault. But... I just don’t understand. This pack? What’s a pack? Why don’t you spend time with us anymore? I just have so many questions. And I’m scared, I don’t want to lose you.”   
  
“I know, Mom,” Lydia replied. “I’ll answer them when we have time. But right now, I think it’s just better if I get back to my pack. We need to talk, figure out what we need to do. I can’t lose anyone else, I just can’t. I need to know what we’re going to do.”   
  
“Just one thing,” Lydia’s father said. “What Jackson said about your pack being family... is it true?”   
  
Jackson got into the Porsche and waited for Danny and Lydia to join him.    
  
“You guys are my parents, and you always will be,” Lydia sighed. “But yeah, the pack’s my family too. I don’t know how to describe it. The wolf inside us all bonds us all together. It’s hard to explain, but... yeah, they’re my family, and I love them all like they’re blood.”   
  
Lydia’s father nodded, his lips thin. “Okay, Lydia. Just... call us if you need anything.”   
  
“I will. Thanks. I love you both,” Lydia said, giving her parents a hug and a kiss each. Then, she and Danny got into the Porsche and they waved goodbye to their parents. Jackson caught his parents glowering out a window through the side mirror and rolled his eyes.   
  
“So, where are we going now?”   
  
“Back to the house?” Danny suggested.    
  
“Are they back yet, though?” Lydia said. “I’ll call them.”   
  
“What about Scott?”   
  
Danny frowned. “I don’t know. He’s got to be hit the hardest out of any of us. Maybe we should give him space.”   
  
“Call Derek,” Jackson said. “See if he answers.”   
  
Lydia nodded and dialed Derek’s number.   
  
“Hey, Derek? Are you back home yet? Jackson, Danny, and -- oh, okay. Yeah. We’re coming,” Lydia said and hung up the phone. “Scott, Stiles, and Derek are at Stiles’ home.”   
  
“Oh, Scott too? Well, okay, then. Let’s go.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“It’s Scott!”   
  
Stiles froze, his pants halfway up. He looked up at Derek, who was already fully clothed. Stiles inhaled then exhaled and pulled his pants up.   
  
“It’ll be okay,” Derek said. “Go on.”   
  
Nodding, Stiles opened the door to his bedroom and exited. He heard Derek’s footsteps behind him and his shoulders relaxed slightly. He went down the stairs just in time to see Sam open the door and let Scott in.    
  
Their eyes connected and for a few seconds, neither of them said anything.    
  
“Scott, I --”   
  
Scott’s legs started working again and he propelled himself forward, right for Stiles. Stiles’ chest clenched up and he closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable punch.   
  
Instead, Scott grabbed him and pulled him in for the tightest hug the either of them ever had.    
  
“I’m sorry,” Stiles whispered as he held Scott. He could smell Scott’s pain, but what surprised him was that there wasn’t a single shred of anger in his aroma. Scott wasn’t mad at him. Stiles finally let himself relax completely and squeezed Scott harder, neither of them willing to let go.   
  
Behind them, Derek smiled. He bowed his head before walking over and sitting at the table.    
  
“You saved my life,” Scott whispered. “Thank you.”   
  
“I’m sorry I couldn’t save Allison,” Stiles replied. “I just --”   
  
“Don’t,” Scott said. “Not your fault. Nothing you could do. She jumped in front of me... I should be dead, but she saved me. And you saved me. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you two, but thank you.”   
  
Stiles felt his eyes fill up with water so he squeezed them shut and buried his head into Scott’s neck.    
  
Dean and Sam looked at each other and Dean was the first one to look away, sighing slightly. Sam sighed as well, looking down at the floor. Derek’s curiosity was piqued and he glanced between the two Winchesters. He mentally noted to ask them about Castiel later.   
  
“Are you okay?” Stiles asked, still hugging Scott.    
  
“Fuck no,” Scott said. “It hurts so bad. I can’t fall apart now, though, can I? I’ll do that later. I need to make sure I don’t lose anyone else. I just need you to hold me together, Stiles. I need the pack.”   
  
“Yeah, I can do that,” Stiles said, finally letting go of Scott. “We’ll do that,” Stiles said, smiling. Then, he said, “Love you, bro,” and hugged Scott again.   
  
Derek’s phone rang. He answered, “Yeah? Lydia. No, I’m at Stiles’ place. Scott’s here. Get over here.” He hung up.   
  
“By the way,” Dean said, “the Sheriff said we shouldn’t go to your place anymore, Derek. He says it’s too isolated, that he needs you guys around the town.”   
  
“Fair enough,” Derek agreed.    
  
“We should probably grab something to eat,” Sam said. “Meeting’s at eight, it’ll probably last a while. So, --”   
  
“What meeting?” Derek asked.   
  
“Town meeting,” Sam replied. “Sheriff called it. At the school, eight. He told Jackson and the others that he wanted them there, so I’m guessing that includes you all. I’m not sure if we should be there, though.”   
  
“If we’re going, so are you,” Stiles said. “You’ve helped us out, you’re best equipped to deal with this than any of us are.”   
  
Sam nodded and Dean said, “Okay. We’ll be there. Now, what about dinner?”   
  
“Menus are on the refrigerator, take your pick. Just order enough for us all. Then double it.”   
  
Dean chuckled. “Sounds like my kind of people,” he said as he checked out the menus stuck against the refrigerator.   
  
“Hey Scott?” Scott looked at Derek. “You going to be okay? This is far from over. We’re most likely going to be fighting them, and soon. Can you handle that?”   
  
“Yeah, I can,” Scott replied, his face hardening. “I’m going to make them regret they laid a finger on Allison.”   
  
Derek smiled. “Good. That’s good.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The Sheriff stood outside the auditorium, watching people enter and exit the building. It was still more than a hour from eight o’clock, yet the auditorium was nearly full already. The Sheriff sighed.    
  
“Where are we going to put everyone else?” Evans asked.   
  
“That’s a good damn question,” the Sheriff said. “I have no idea.”   
  
“I think I have an idea,” Evans said, disappearing into the crowd. The Sheriff watched her leave, hoping her idea would pan out.   
  
“Sheriff,” Rodriguez spoke. “Should I tell the pack to come? The Winchesters?”   
  
“Yes, of course they should be here, my son --”   
  
“Sheriff, I can hear them talking,” Rodriguez jerked his head toward the crowd, “some of them are saying the werewolves shouldn’t be involved in the meeting. That it should be human-only. They’re saying they brought this on us. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea having them here.”   
  
“Fuck that,” the Sheriff cursed. “They need to be here. They’re the only ones who understands this, more than any of us do. I don’t give a shit if they don’t like it, they’ll live with it.”   
  
“Okay. I’m just saying, we should have precautions. To make sure we’re safe.”   
  
The Sheriff nodded. “Yeah, good idea. Do it.”   
  
Rodriguez left and the Sheriff rubbed his forehead.    
  
_The entire town is going crazy. Not that I blame them. Those incompetent idiots didn’t cover up Allison or that Alpha, so everyone saw them. Damned cameras. They’re going --_   
  
Melissa McCall interrupted his thoughts, saying, “Hey Sheriff. How are you doing?”   
  
“Hello, Melissa,” the Sheriff said. “I’m doing as well as I can under the circumstances. How’s Scott?”   
  
“I’m not sure. He was a mess. We were talking, and he told me about how Allison saved his life. Then, he said Stiles saved his life.”   
  
“Oh,” the Sheriff said. “I didn’t know that.”   
  
Melissa smiled and said, “Yeah. Thank you for raising a wonderful son. After Scott told me about Stiles, he just... pulled himself together and said he needed to see Stiles. I just dropped him off at your home. I’m not sure how he’s doing.”   
  
The Sheriff exhaled and said, “I’m glad Stiles is back home. I hope he’s okay.”   
  
Melissa looked down at the grass around the Sheriff’s feet. Hesitantly, she reached over and took the Sheriff’s hand into hers and said, “I nearly lost my son today. It made me realize that... life is short.” She looked up and gazed into the Sheriff’s eyes. “I hope this is okay.”   
  
The Sheriff smiled, a genuine smile. His fingers slipped in between hers. “Yeah, it’s okay, Melissa.” Melissa’s smile grew wide and she rested her head on the Sheriff’s shoulder, watching the throng of people.   
  
Evans made her return and eyeballed Melissa before speaking, “Okay, think I’ve got a solution. It’s a complicated but the short version is, the cameras from the news will tape the meeting, and we’ll have live feeds projected on white screens outside. Maybe at the lacrosse field? I know it’s taped off, but it’s the biggest place we’ve got, apart from the gym.”   
  
“Whatever,” the Sheriff said. “Just make it work.”   
  
“Gotcha,” Evans said as she left.   
  
“This has been really tough for you, hasn’t it?” Melissa asked.   
  
“Yeah, it has,” the Sheriff replied.   
  
Melissa wrapped her other hand around the Sheriff’s arm and held onto him and said, “It’ll be fine. It’s all going to work out. I believe that.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Fucking hell,” Dean muttered, hanging up the phone. “Even the Chinese place is closed. Everything’s closed.”   
  
“I’m not surprised,” Danny said. “We saw a lot of people making their way to the school.”   
  
“The meeting’s not even for another hour,” Dean said. “They’ve got no --”   
  
“Dean,” Sam interrupted. “They’ve spent their entire lives in normalcy, and all of the sudden, they’ve found out that werewolves exist and that they’ve threatened to kill them. I don’t really expect them to sit around at home or at work doing nothing. They’re anxious.”   
  
Dean paused. “Okay, point taken,” he said. “What the hell do we do for dinner, though?”   
  
Stiles shrugged and pointed to the refrigerator. “Have fun.”   
  
Jackson beat Dean to the refrigerator and started pulling food out. Danny and Lydia helped carry them to the table while Dean scowled at Jackson. Dean’s hand darted by Jackson and grabbed the leftover pasta. He grinned as he shoved the tupperware into the microwave.   
  
“How old is he, exactly?” Derek asked.   
  
Sam shrugged. “I don’t even know how to answer that.”   
  
“Fuck you both,” Dean said, his eyes on the microwave. Sam chuckled and Derek smirked. The pack and the Winchesters, after the microwave was done with the pasta, sat around the table and ate their dinner. It consisted mostly of leftovers, but they also ate sandwiches and pop tarts from the pantry closet.   
  
“So,” Stiles said, his mouth full with food. “What are we going to do? Go to the meeting?”   
  
“At least swallow before you talk,” Lydia snapped. Danny covered his mouth to keep his food in and to suppress the giggles. Stiles choked on his food and Scott had to slap his back until his throat cleared up. Lydia glared at Danny but smirked too.   
  
“Hey, do you have beer?” Sam asked. Stiles nodded but Dean was already making his way to the refrigerator. He pulled out the two six-packs of beer that was in there and plopped them down on the table. Everyone took one and popped them open. Dean was about to drink his when Sam said, “Hold on.”   
  
Sam raised his beer can up high and said, “Life isn’t going to be easy in the next few days. I just wanted to say, to all of you, be careful and stay safe. I like you guys.”   
  
“Yeah,” Scott agreed. “Same to you, Sam. And... to Allison,” he said, swallowing. “We’re going to miss you, but we’re never going to forget you.”   
  
“To Castiel,” Jackson and Danny said in unison. A small smile curved Dean’s lips as he bowed his head.    
  
“To our health,” Derek said.    
  
They drank their beer.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Chris Argent was lying down on a bed, being poked and prodded by a doctor and a nurse. His shirt laid discarded nearby, as was his pants, leaving just his boxer-briefs.   
  
“Okay, Mr. Argent, we’re going to have to take you into surgery,” the doctor said. “You’ve got some broken bones that need to be re-aligned before they can heal. It shouldn’t be a long surgery. None of your vital organs were punctured by the bones, so recovery won’t be too bad.”   
  
“Great,” Chris said flatly. “What about my wife?”   
  
The doctor hesitated. “I’m sorry, Mr. Argent. We don’t know anything yet. The other doctors are still checking on her. We’ll let you know after the surgery.”   
  
Chris sighed, wincing as the pain in his chest increased. “Can the surgery wait?”   
  
“I wouldn’t recommend that, Mr. Argent. The --”   
  
“I know, I’m not asking to put it off a day. I just want to watch the town meeting. I need to know what the town wants.”   
  
The doctor frowned. “Okay. I’ll schedule the surgery for tomorrow morning.”   
  
“Thank you, Doctor,” Chris said. “Can you guys make sure the room I’m in has a working television?”   
  
“They all do,” the doctor said as he left. The nurse bent over and whispered, “Thank you. I’m not surprised to hear about the Hales. I never liked them. They were always so creepy, living so --”   
  
The nurse shut up after Chris shot her a glare. She said, “I’ll send someone to wheel you to your room,” as she squirmed out of the room.   
  
Chris rolled his eyes. “Fucking idiots.”   
  
_I can’t lose you too, Victoria. Don’t leave me, please._   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Hey Dad,” Stiles said, leading the pack and the Winchesters into the lobby of the auditorium. The Sheriff turned around and immediately hugged his son. “Are you okay?”  
  
“Yeah, Dad, I’m fine.”  
  
The Sheriff looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he smiled. “What about you guys?” He asked, although he was only looking at Scott.  
  
“We’re fine,” Scott replied. “Did the meeting start yet?”  
  
“No, it’s just about to start. You’re just in time,” the Sheriff replied. “I’m going to go talk with my officers for a bit then go ahead and start it. I think you guys should take some time talking to them all too.”  
  
“We will,” Derek said. “Thanks, Sheriff.”  
  
The Sheriff left and the pack looked at each other. Stiles nudged Derek and said, “Can you feel the tension?”  
  
“Yeah,” Derek replied. “I think we all can, even Sam and Dean.” The Winchesters nodded, affirming. The residents were staring at them with a broad variety of emotions. Name it, and the pack could smell it.   
  
“I’m going to go to the bathroom,” Stiles said. “Be right back.” Stiles left the group and headed for the bathroom. On the way, he felt the eyes of everyone on him as he passed them. He rubbed his arms, trying to squash the goosebumps that crept up them.   
  
“Give me a break,” Stiles muttered as he entered the bathroom. He saw two guys at the urinals, and they both ignored him. There were three urinals, and the two men were standing at the ends, leaving the center open. He took that one, and as soon as he got there, the two men glanced at him.   
  
Stiles heard their piss streams halt.  
  
Rolling his eyes, Stiles decided a stall would serve him better, so he went into one. After he was done with his business, he noticed that he was alone. He went to wash his hands when a sound caught his attention.  
  
“No, I’m sorry, please don’t --”  
  
Stiles heard something like a slap.   
  
“You fucking disgust me, Isaac. Do you want to join them?”  
  
“No, I just wanted to _talk_ , they’re my teammates, I --”  
  
Another slap, a louder one this time. _That’s Isaac. Who the fuck is doing that to him?_ Stiles exited the bathroom and followed the voices down the hallway, away from everyone.  
  
“Don’t lie to me! I saw how you were watching them. Tell me! _Do you want to be like them?”_  
  
“Dad, please, I’m sorry, please stop.”  
  
 _His_ father _beats him up?_  
  
“Tell me or you’re going to spend the next few days in the basement.”  
  
“No, Dad, please... don’t,” Isaac whimpered. Stiles’ mouth dropped at the utter despair in Isaac’s voice. He really didn’t like whatever was in the basement. Stiles stopped by a door where the voices were coming from. It led to a small office. Stiles knocked on the door and said, “Hey. Anyone there?”  
  
“Leave us alone,” Isaac’s father said.  
  
Stiles wouldn’t budge. “Isaac, is that you?”  
  
“Stiles?”  
  
Stiles heard a punch this time. He growled and tried the doorknob but it was locked. Stepping back, he kicked the door open.  
  
“What the fuck!” Isaac’s father shouted. He was standing over a cowering Isaac, who had a hand clutching the spot on his face where his father had just punched.   
  
“Isaac, are you okay?”  
  
“He’s fine. Get the fuck outta here.”  
  
“I wasn’t talking to you. I’m talking to Isaac.”  
  
“I don’t give a shit if you’re talking to my son. He’s _my_ son, and if I say he’s fine, he’s fine. Get the fuck outta here.”  
  
Stiles stepped into the office and went up to Isaac and asked again, “Are you okay? Do you need some help?”  
  
Isaac’s eyes darted from his father to Stiles. Stiles could smell the Isaac’s cries for help. He could also feel his father’s glare from behind.  
  
“I-- I’m fine, Stiles,” Isaac whispered.  
  
“Are you sure? Do you want to come with me? You know I’m not going to hurt you.”  
  
“What the fuck are you talking about? Stay the hell away from my son,” Isaac’s father shouted, grabbing Stiles’ shoulder. Isaac’s eyes grew wide as Stiles’ purple eyes burst through and he spun around, grabbed Isaac’s father, and threw him out of the room. He crashed against the wall and slumped to the ground.  
  
Stiles crouched by Isaac and extended his hand. “I’m sorry about that. How long has he been hitting you?”  
  
“My... entire life,” Isaac whispered. Stiles closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, but Isaac could see the purple hue shine through his eyelids. “If you come with me, I promise you, he’ll never hurt you again. You don’t even have to become a werewolf, we’ll protect you either way. Nobody deserves to be treated like that.”  
  
Isaac’s father got back on his feet and shouted, “Hey Isaac! Get your ass over here, we’re going home.”  
  
Isaac didn’t react to his father’s words. Instead, he slowly took Stiles’ hand. Stiles got up and pulled Isaac up. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to the pack.”   
  
Stiles could smell the anger rolling off Isaac’s father as they walked past him. Derek was walking toward him with a sour face. He sped up his pace when Isaac’s father shoved Stiles out of the way and grabbed the back of Isaac’s shirt, dragging him backwards, saying “I’m your fucking father, you listen to me, you piece of shit!”  
  
In a flash, Stiles pinned Isaac’s father against the wall and growled, his purple eyes going ultraviolet and his teeth growing in.  
  
“You stay away from Isaac. If you ever touch him again, if you ever hurt him again, I will tear you apart. You don’t deserve to be called a father. _Stay away from Isaac.”_  
  
Stiles felt immense satisfaction once he could smell Isaac’s father’s fear. He let go, ushered Isaac in front of him and walked past the terrified residents who had peeked around the hallway.   
  
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Derek whispered, staring at Stiles. “This isn’t the place to do that. We can’t be scaring them. That’s doing the opposite of what we want to do. We want to win them over.”  
  
“I know, I’m sorry, Derek. I just could hear him hitting Isaac, and I couldn’t just do nothing. No parent should ever beat their kids. That’s just wrong.”  
  
Derek frowned. “I know, you’re right. Just... be careful how you handle things.”  
  
“Yeah, I could have handled that better,” Stiles agreed. “I don’t regret it, though.”   
  
Derek just chuckled and ruffled Stiles’ hair. He turned around and the smile disappeared and he glared at Isaac. “So, who are you?”  
  
Isaac stammered, “I’m Isaac Lahey. I uh... play lacrosse with Stiles.”  
  
“Don’t be afraid of Derek,” Stiles said, sending Derek a dirty look that meant _Stop it, you sourwolf_. “He’s a good guy. Come on, you should stick with the pack.”  
  
Isaac nodded, walking behind them as they rejoined the pack.   
  
“Hey Isaac,” Danny said. “What’s up?”  
  
“Hey,” Isaac said nervously, the pack’s eyes on him. “I’m...”  
  
“He’s joining the pack,” Stiles finished for Isaac. “He’s under our protection now.”  
  
“Oh, okay,” Danny said. “That’s random, but cool. Welcome to the pack, dude.”  
  
“Thanks,” Isaac said smiling awkwardly.   
  
"This is Sam and Dean Winchester," Stiles introduced. "And this is Isaac Lahey." The Winchesters shook Isaac's hand.  
  
The Sheriff’s voice boomed over the microphone, starting the meeting. Derek led the pack out of the lobby and into the auditorium. Stiles held Isaac back and said, “I know you’re nervous, but I just want to make sure, is this something you want to do? Because once you’re in the pack, we’re going to protect you like you’re our family. And by family, I don’t mean the kind of family your father is. I mean a real family.”  
  
Isaac nodded. “Yeah, I do. I want... I want to be one of you guys.”  
  
“You mean you want the bite?”  
  
Isaac gulped. “Yeah, I do. I just want to be able to stand up for myself. To protect myself.”  
  
Stiles smiled. “Yeah, okay. We can do that for you. Come on, let’s go inside.” Stiles wrapped his arm around Isaac’s shoulders and they walked into the auditorium.  
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Settle down, guys,” the Sheriff’s voice boomed over the speakers. Voices from the audience died out. “Okay, I know this has been a crazy day for us all. Crazier for some of us than others, but crazy nonetheless. The first thing I want to say to you all is, I’m trying my best to protect us all. I’ve been getting reports of fighting and looting, and I need it to stop. I don’t have the manpower to deal with this. I need to focus on the more important things, and you all know what I’m talking about. If I hear anything about anyone causing any more trouble, I won't even care who you are or what you did. I'm going to throw you in jail and leave you in there until all this is done.   
  
“Now, I do have several people here that I’d like to talk to you all before we start discussing things. Firstly, Mr. Hale?”  
  
Stiles gave Derek a kiss and whispered, “Win them over, Derek.” Derek smiled then climbed the stairs and replaced the Sheriff at the podium. He cleared his throat and stared at the microphone.  
  
“I’m Derek Hale. Yes, it’s true, my family were werewolves. We didn’t tell anyone because... because, we were trying to protect ourselves. We never, not even once, hurt anyone who lived in this town, except for my uncle. He did kill a few people a few months ago, but those people helped Kate Argent kill my family. I’m not saying that’s a good excuse, just... that’s just why he did it.  
  
“We don’t kill for no reason. We do it to survive, and my uncle,” Derek hesitated. “My uncle went insane. I’m sorry for his actions. I won’t be doing the same, and this is my town as much as it’s yours. I’m going to defend it against those werewolves. As they’ve proven today, they’re not good people. They may have heartbreaking stories, but they’re _not_ good people.  
  
“They killed one of my pack members today. A seventeen year old girl, Allison. They tried to kill another one,” Derek said, looking at Scott. “Don’t be fooled -- they’re not going to give us a spot on this Council of theirs. They don’t care about us. They’ll kill us all if they have to. They want to take over this town.  
  
“I know us being werewolves may scare some of you, but right now, you can’t linger on that. You and I are both residents of Beacon Hills, and the only way we can defend this town is if we work together. We have to, or we die.”  
  
Derek stepped back, looked at the Sheriff and gave him a small nod before exiting the stage. Jackson was staring at him with a raised eyebrow and Derek groaned. “What?”  
  
“Nothing,” Jackson said. “Just never heard you talk that long before.”  
  
Derek rolled his eyes and Stiles grinned. Scott walked past them all and went up the stairs and interrupted the Sheriff, whispering into his ear. The Sheriff’s shoulders shifted in a slight shrug and he stepped back.  
  
“Hey guys. I’m Scott McCall. I... I just wanted to say... Allison was my girlfriend. I loved her.” Scott paused, looking down at the podium. “She died so I would live. She died for me. She shouldn’t have died at all. I don’t want to lose anyone else, so I’m asking you all, please work with us. That’s all I wanted to say, I guess.”  
  
Melissa watched Scott walked off the stage, her smile full of love.  
  
“Good speech,” Stiles said, hugging Scott. The rest of the pack huddled closer so they all were touching each other. Isaac stood to the side, uncertainty wafting from him until Stiles grabbed his arm and pulled him into the impromptu huddle. Stiles didn’t even say a word, he just watched the Sheriff talk. Isaac had to bow his head to hide the small smile that appeared.  
  
Isaac’s father stood in the back of the room, glaring.  
  
“Okay, one at a time, tell us what you think we should do,” the Sheriff said. Several people started shouting and flailing their arms around. The Sheriff shouted, “Shut the hell up! I said, one at a time. You, you’re first.”  
  
A woman in her fifties got up and simply said, “We should banish the werewolves from the town. They’re the reason we’re being attacked.”  
  
Another one got up and shouted, “No, we should kill them all! Present their bodies to the others and that should convince them to leave us alone!”  
  
There were murmurs of agreements from several others, and Derek glowered at them.   
  
“Stop it, Derek,” Stiles whispered.  
  
“Stop being ridiculous,” the Sheriff stated. “That will not happen. Period. Either share something helpful or shut up.”  
  
More hands shot up and the Sheriff internally groaned, scanning the audience. She pointed to a young girl with disheveled blond hair and a scab on her chin, who stood up.  
  
The girl started speaking but all anybody could hear was mumbles.   
  
“Speak up,” the Sheriff said. “We can’t hear you.”  
  
She cleared her throat and spoke louder.  
  
“My name is Erica Reyes, and I’d like to be one of you,” Erica said, looking at her classmates.


	13. The Discussion

# Chapter Twelve

  
Erica’s mother grabbed Erica’s arm and hissed at her but she pulled free of her grip.   
  
“Quit pretending like you care about me, Mother. You haven’t cared since the day you found out I had epilepsy.”   
  
Erica’s mother gasped and drew back into her seat, her neck slowly disappearing, her face going red.    
  
“I want to be one of you,” Erica repeated. Derek stepped forward and asked, “Why?”   
  
Erica pursed her lips, thinking. “Because I’m tired of going through my life, a day at a time, wondering whether I’m going to make through the day without having a seizure. I’m tired of people laughing at me whenever I have one. I’m tired of people videotaping me and putting that up on YouTube. I’m tired of being made fun of.   
  
“I just want to be normal. I want to be happy. The doctors can’t do anything for me, but... maybe you can?” Erica asked, her hope carrying the words she spoke.   
  
Derek stared at her for a while. Then, he smiled and said, “Yeah, we can do that for you.”   
  
Erica smiled and made her way to the pack, ignoring her mother’s angry muttering. The audience exploded in hushed whispers.    
  
“Quiet down!” the Sheriff said. “Let’s get back to the discussion. Anyone else have something _positive_ to contribute?”   
  
A man got up. “To be honest, I think it’s better if the werewolves leave the meeting. I’m not saying I want them out of the town -- not at all, I just think some of us are a little... terrified,” he explained. “I think we would be able to have a better discussion if everyone’s in their right minds.”   
  
Derek frowned and sniffed the air deeply. Tension and fear consisted most of the aroma of the room.   
  
“Absolutely not,” the Sheriff said flatly. “They’re the best shot --”   
  
“It’s fine,” Derek shouted, interrupting the Sheriff. “He’s right. We’ll go. If our presence discourages rational discussion, then we’ll leave.” Derek ushered the pack, including Isaac and Erica, toward the exit.    
  
“Stay here,” he whispered to the Winchesters. “You guys are our best hope.”   
  
Derek followed the pack out of the auditorium and met up with Rodriguez there.    
  
“You should stay here too. At least one of us should be here, and you have the excuse of being an officer. Text us updates.”   
  
“Yeah, will do,” Rodriguez said. “Sorry about all that,” he added, waving his hand at the general vicinity of the auditorium.   
  
Derek shrugged. “Used to it. Not like I can really blame them. Thanks.”   
  
Rodriguez nodded and entered the auditorium. Stiles sighed and looked at Derek as the rest of the pack left the building.   
  
“This sucks. What do we do now?”   
  
“Don’t know. Wait, I guess. Meeting could take a while, though. Let’s just go home.”   
  
Derek placed his hand on Stiles’ back and they walked toward the doors. Stiles spotted one of his classmates leaning against the wall by the doors, staring at him. He could tell that the boy wanted to talk to him; his body language seemed to be gravitating toward them.   
  
“Go on,” Stiles said. “I’ll meet you at home.”   
  
Derek raised an eyebrow and asked, “You sure?”   
  
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Go ahead.”   
  
Derek hugged Stiles tightly, and left a kiss on his forehead before leaving. Stiles watched him disappear from view then turned to the boy and smiled.   
  
“What’s up, Boyd?”   
  
Boyd stared at Stiles, his mouth slowly opening. Then, he closed it and looked down at the ground.    
  
“What’s wrong?”   
  
“You were the only guy at school that was nice to me. The only one who actually spoke to me, even if most of the time you just wanted something from me, like the keys to the ice rink.”   
  
Boyd looked up at him and continued, “The last few months... you hadn’t really been around much. You started hanging out with Whittemore and Lydia and the others, and to be honest, I was kind of hurt. Depressed. I felt like I lost the only friend I had, and you weren’t even really my friend.”   
  
Stiles frowned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean --”   
  
Boyd waved a hand and said, “Don’t be. I understand why now.” He laughed. “Werewolves! Unbelievable. I understand. You guys have gotten much closer, you and your... pack? Whatever you call it. I can see it.”   
  
Stiles nodded. “Yeah, we have. It was really tough at first. Even though some of us still can’t stand each other, we’ve bonded. It’s weird, but... they’re my family.”   
  
“I can see that,” Boyd said, staring at Stiles wistfully. “I... guess I’m just jealous. You’re really lucky, and I don’t feel right asking this, because I feel like I’m overstepping the boundaries, but... do you --”   
  
“Yeah, Boyd. It’s fine. You can come with us, if you want,” Stiles replied, smiling. “I’m sorry if you ever felt alone, but you don’t have to anymore.”   
  
“Really? You’d be fine with that?”   
  
“Yeah, we would. Do you want the bite too?”   
  
“You mean I don’t have to get the bite?”   
  
“No, you don’t have to. I didn’t get the bite until I got kidnapped by one of the Alphas’ pack. Danny and... Allison, they didn’t get the bite until pretty recently. It’s up to you. Either way, once you’re with us, you’re pack.”   
  
“Okay... I was going to take it, obviously, but... maybe I don’t have to. Can I think about it?”   
  
“Of course you can. Come on, we’re headed to my place. Come with us.”   
  
The smile that appeared on Boyd’s face was pure happiness. He moved away from the wall and opened the door for Stiles. Stiles grinned and grabbed Boyd’s shoulders with his arm and they walked to the Jeep together.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“We don’t have a choice, do we? We have to let them move in.”   
  
“No way! Are you crazy? They’ll kill us all. We can’t say yes to them!”   
  
“Go ahead, walk up to them and tell them no. See what they do to you then.”   
  
The discussion went back and forth, half of the people wanting to say yes so they could live, the other half saying no way.    
  
“They seemed like gentlemen, they’ll understand.”   
  
“Are you fucking kidding me? They pulled me out of the shower and forced me to come down here. And did you forget, _they blew up a guy!_ ”   
  
Dean and Sam groaned in exasperation. The argument wasn’t going anywhere. The Sheriff stood atop the stage, glowering at the people.   
  
“I think we have to say yes,” the Sheriff finally said into the microphone, shutting everyone up. “If we say no, then the first people to fight them will be my son and his friends. A group of teenagers. Werewolves as well, yes, but teenagers.”   
  
The Sheriff’s eyes grew dark, his eyebrows scrunching up. “I’m not going to lose my son. If I have to become a werewolf, then fine. I can’t lose my son.”   
  
Dean sighed. “Hey, Sheriff? Can I say something?” The Sheriff nodded and Dean got up on the stage and cleared his throat.    
  
“I’m Dean Winchester, also known as the guy who had a bomb strapped on his chest earlier today,” he said, chuckling. “I’m also a hunter. I have been a hunter since I was four years old. I know supernatural creatures pretty well. What they said earlier today, some of it was true. There are hunters who kill just for the sake of killing, and we’ve come across them before. Sam and I know how difficult it is living as something that’s not human.    
  
“They may have said that they want to live in peace, that they want a place to be safe at. That’s a noble idea, but unfortunately, that’s never going to happen. If you guys allow them to move in here, one of two things will happen.   
  
“First, they’ll get along with you guys for a while, because it’s the honeymoon period. After a while, some of them will start treating you guys like shit. Attacking, if not killing you. Why? Because some of them quite simply think they’re better than humans. They’ll rebel, they’ll start fights, and eventually, the humans will lose. You all will either be turned or killed.   
  
“The other thing that could happen is, peace! You guys actually get along. Everything goes well. That is, until they drag you into their war. Because their war with hunters will never end. Hunters will find out that they’ve basically taken a town hostage, and they will do something about it. Can you guys imagine how dangerous a town full of werewolves would be to the world?   
  
“Even if the werewolves intend to live out in peace, it will not end that way. Eventually, their numbers will grow, and they will think they’re entitled to more, and they’ll branch out. They’ll take more towns, more people, and more deaths will occur. Hunters will do whatever it takes to stop that, including myself and my brother.   
  
“Hunters will gather, and they will come here to wipe out the werewolves. I can guarantee at least half of you guys would get caught in the crossfire and die. Either way, agreeing to this proposal the werewolves have made will not end well. People will die, no matter what. You need to say no, and then you need to defend this town. Protect yourselves.”   
  
Dean walked away from the podium. The people in the audience stared at him, dumbfounded. A man shouted, “How do you know that’s what would happen? We could actually co-exist in peace! Apparently, we’ve been living with the Hales for a while, and we haven’t had any problems!”   
  
“The Hales are a pack of what, ten werewolves?” Sam shouted back. “These werewolves number over a hundred, and they all have been running for a long time. The Hales have a home, they have security. That’s why packs tend to stay small, so they can blend into society. These werewolves can’t do that. They will not co-exist with you guys, especially since they’ve already attacked the town and killed several people. Like my brother said, we have been hunting for our entire lives. We know how they work. You guys have only known about them for a few hours. Please, trust us on this.”   
  
The man closed his mouth and sat down. Nobody else spoke. The Sheriff sighed. “Okay, for this, we need a majority vote. Everyone in favor of saying yes to the Alpha Council?”   
  
A few people raised their hands, but not many.   
  
“Noted. Those in favor of saying no?”   
  
Nobody raised their hands. Dean raised his and Sam’s arm shot up a second later. Rodriguez raised his hand as well. Slowly, the other officers joined in, and so did a few of the seated people. It snowballed from there and hands started flying up until nearly the entire place was full of hands waving in the air.   
  
“Majority it is.”   
  
A woman stood. “Now what? How are we supposed to fight a hundred _werewolves?”_ Dean started to speak but the Sheriff halted him by clearing his throat. “No. We’re not discussing that right now. Officers! Take down the cameras.”   
  
The officers went to the news crew that had set up their cameras and ordered them shut down. After some complaining, they complied.   
  
“Now. You all need to understand that this is extremely dangerous. People are going to die. I completely understand if you don’t want to get involved. If you don’t want to, then leave. Now. Go home, and stay there until everything is done. Do not come out of the house for any reasons. For those of you who are willing to stay and help us, thank you very much, and your help will be extremely appreciated.   
  
“Those of you who want to stay out of this, leave this building. _Now._ ”   
  
People started streaming out of the building, mostly parents dragging their kids out. By the time people stopped leaving, about a quarter of them was left. Some of the people who was watching the meeting from the lacrosse field had joined them.   
  
“Every single person that’s here, thank you. Beacon Hills and I appreciate your help, truly. Thank you. Now, the first thing you all need to understand is that the werewolves that live here -- my son and his friends -- they are on our side. They will not hurt you. You need to trust them all, as I do, with my life. They are the best weapon we have against them. Trust them.”   
  
The Sheriff paused, waiting for protests. None came. He exhaled and continued.   
  
_God, if you’re real, then... please, protect my son. Don’t take him away from me. Please. If you do, then you better take me as well. I will not forgive you if you don’t._   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles entered his home, Boyd trailing him, and found the pack in the living room. “Hey guys,” he said as he presented Boyd. “We’ve got a new pack member.”   
  
“Who are you?” Jackson asked. Out of the corner of his eye, Stiles saw Boyd’s body sag in disappointment. “Jackson you idiot,” Stiles said. “It’s Boyd. He goes to our school.”   
  
Jackson stared. “Oh, right,” he said, nodding stupidly. Isaac and Erica were standing on one side, both of them looking extremely nervous. Derek was standing behind them, looking over them both and Boyd.    
  
“First things first,” Derek said. “You three need to know that there’s no turning back once you agree to be a part of this pack. Human or werewolf, once you’re a part of the pack, you’re pack for life. Do you all understand?”   
  
The three new members nodded.   
  
“This is your last chance. You’ll have to be 100% sure you want to join. And don’t even bother lying, we’ll know if you are. Isaac, do you want to join this pack?”   
  
Isaac swallowed. He nodded.    
  
“Use your words,” Lydia said.   
  
“Yes, I do,” Isaac whispered. There was no irregularity in his heartbeat. Derek smiled. “Erica, do you want to join this pack?”   
  
Erica didn’t waste any time. “Yeah. Definitely.” No irregularity either. Derek smiled once again and turned to Boyd. “Boyd, do you want to join this pack?”   
  
Boyd exhaled. Then, he said, “Yeah, I want to be a part of this pack.” The rhythm of his heart never swayed.    
  
“Perfect,” Derek said. “Welcome to the pack. This is all of us, apart from Rodriguez, who’s still at the meeting.”   
  
“Why is he still there?” Boyd asked.   
  
“He’s one of the officers,” Stiles explained.    
  
“Ah,” was Boyd’s response.   
  
“Okay,” Derek said. “Which ones of you wants the bite?”   
  
Erica’s hand shot up immediately, just as Derek thought hers would. Isaac thought about it for a minute before raising his hand. That left Boyd. He looked at Erica and Isaac, then at Stiles. Stiles shrugged and said, “It’s up to you.”   
  
“Is everyone here a werewolf?” Boyd asked.   
  
“Yeah, we all are.”   
  
“So, if I wanted to stay human, I’d be the only one?”   
  
“Yeah,” Derek said. “That’s not a bad thing, though. Humans are nice to have in a pack, it keeps us connected with humanity. Not every member of my family was a werewolf.”   
  
Boyd nodded. “Okay, I think... I want the bite too.” That surprised Stiles. He asked, “Are you sure?” Boyd nodded. “Yeah, I am. I want it.”   
  
Stiles looked at Derek. Derek smiled and said, “Go ahead.”   
  
“Okay, guys, come over here and lift your shirts up. Isaac and Erica joined Boyd in front of Stiles and lifted their shirts. “Just hold on,” Stiles said. “It’s gonna hurt like a bitch for a few seconds.”   
  
Derek’s eyes went crimson as soon as Stiles’ ultraviolet irises took over and his teeth grew in. Boyd watched Stiles with fascination and Erica’s eyes grew wide. Isaac remained perfectly still. Stiles got on his knees and bit Boyd’s hip first and Boyd groaned in pain. Erica was next, and she practically shoved her hip into Stiles’ mouth. He bit down and Erica gasped. Isaac kept his shirt lifted but looked away, his eyes glued shut. A small whimper escaped when Stiles bit down on him.   
  
“Going to be over in a few seconds,” Stiles repeated. “Going to hurt, though. Just hang on.”   
  
The rest of the pack was standing by now, all of them watching the new members.   
  
Boyd was the first to scream, quickly joined by Erica and then Isaac. Stiles watched Boyd’s bite mend itself, then Erica’s, then Isaac’s. He got up and checked Boyd’s eyes. His was glowing a bright yellow. Stiles wasn’t sure if it was naturally bright or if the tone of Boyd’s skin made it seem brighter than it really was.   
  
Erica’s eyes glowed steel blue and it went with her complexion beautifully. Stiles could see the scab on her chin blend into perfection. Isaac’s eyes glowed a light brown, almost tan but not quite. The scent of their new wolves hit Stiles’ nose and he grinned.   
  
“Congratulations, guys. You’re werewolves now.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Aden Duncan plopped down on his seat at the table, drawing glares from Boomer, Johnny, and Zoe. Oblivious, he said, “What are we waiting for now?”  
  
“We’re waiting for my man to call,” Josh said. “He’s getting an update on the meeting.”  
  
“Then what?”  
  
“It depends on what they decide to do,” Josh said.   
  
“Well, what if --”  
  
“We’ll discuss it when we find out,” Zoe interrupted, her tone dismissive. Aden shut up and glowered. His silence didn’t last for too long, however.  
  
“Can we just hurry this up? I’ve got some... _pack_ business to take care of.”  
  
“You mean you’re losing control of your pack?” Boomer snorted. Aden snarled. Johnny chuckled and said, “Wouldn’t be surprised to see someone else sitting in your seat by tomorrow morning.”  
  
Aden growled and his pink eyes burst through. He got up and tried to speak but Josh took command of the situation by slamming his palm against the table.  
  
_“Control yourselves,” _Josh growled. “This is not the time for your shenanigans, Boomer, Johnny,” he said, glaring at them both. “Aden is a fresh Alpha, and his inability to control his wolf is understandable. Unfortunate, but understandable. Aden, you really must find a way to rein in your wolf. If you can’t do that, then you will die, whether it’s at the hands of your pack or the Hales.”  
  
Aden growled much quieter this time, but his eyes got even more narrower. “Fuck this shit, I don’t have the time to sit around here waiting for nothing. Like I said, I have pack business.” Aden got up walked away.  
  
 _“Aden_ ,” Josh growled. “You are an Alpha of the Alpha Council. You will sit down.”  
  
Aden ignored him.  
  
After Aden was beyond hearing range, Boomer said, “You do realize you were insulting him too, right?”  
  
“Of course I do,” Josh snapped. “The difference is, my delivery was subtle. You two were not.”  
  
“But it’s so easy to pick on him,” Johnny whined. Zoe smirked, and so did Boomer.   
  
“That may be true, but --”  
  
Josh’s phone rang. He hit the answer button and listened.  
  
“I see. Okay, thank you, Skyler. Don’t come back just yet, hold on. We may have something else for you.”   
  
Josh hit the hold button on the phone and set it down on the table. The other Alphas waited for him to speak. He sighed.  
  
“They’ve decided to reject our proposal. As a matter of fact, they’ve decided to fight us.”  
  
Zoe snorted. “Seriously? They’ve got to be insane. They’re committing suicide.”  
  
“Do _not_ underestimate them,” Johnny said. “I’m tired of underestimating them. It’s cost us my pack and, as much as I hate to admit it, a halfway competent Alpha.”  
  
“Those are the Hales, though, that’s different than the entire town,” Zoe replied.  
  
“Not necessarily,” Boomer said quietly. “The Hales are all of Beacon Hills. There could be more people like them.”  
  
“Speaking of the Hales,” Josh said. “They’ve begun recruiting once again. Skyler reports at least two new members.”  
  
Zoe groaned. “Great. We’ve got to stop them somehow. Let’s just attack them now.”  
  
“No,” Johnny said. “I have a better idea. We should give them all an ultimatum -- join us or die.” Boomer nodded, agreeing. “That way, whoever wants to become a werewolf should see that we’re the better choice, since we’re their best shot at survival.”  
  
“Yes, that is a good idea indeed,” Josh said. “We’ll give them until dawn to get here. Whoever’s not here by then, we’ll kill off. Whoever does come, we turn and bolster our ranks. Win-win for us.”  
  
“Let’s do that,” Zoe agreed. Josh nodded. “Zoe, you’ve got a few computer experts in your pack, correct?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Send them to meet Skyler. They’ll hack into the network and we’ll broadcast a message to everybody.”  
  
“Okay,” Zoe said as she got up to go back to her pack. Josh picked up his phone and resumed the conversation.  
  
__

\-----------------------------------

  
“Could you guys stop screaming?” Isaac asked, his hands covering his ears.   
  
“We’re not even screaming,” Derek said. “It’s the werewolf abilities. You can hear much better now. You’ll need to get used to it.”   
  
Erica and Boyd were in the backyard, both of them sniffing the air and cocking their heads at various sounds. Most of the pack was outside, watching them. Derek and Stiles was inside with Isaac, who was cowering against a corner.   
  
“Hey Isaac,” Stiles whispered. “You okay?”   
  
“I-- I’ll be fine,” Isaac replied. “It’s just... the noise, it reminds me of...”   
  
“Your father?” Stiles asked. Isaac nodded. “He really liked to scream at me.”   
  
“Isaac,” Derek said softly. “Listen to me. Your father can’t hurt you anymore. We’re here to protect you. Don’t focus completely on what you’re hearing right now. Your other senses are enhanced as well. Smell the air.”   
  
Isaac took a slight sniff and his eyes widened a bit. He sniffed the air again and murmured. “What’s that?”   
  
“That’d probably be all the food we ate earlier today,” Stiles said.   
  
“I smell bacon,” Isaac said, and Stiles could practically see his mouth watering. He grinned. “Yeah, I’ve got some left over in the refrigerator. Want me to heat them up?”   
  
Isaac nodded. Stiles extended his hand and waited for Isaac. Isaac took his hand and Stiles pulled him up and led him into the kitchen. Stiles opened the refrigerator door and pulled out the package that held the bacon.   
  
“It’s not fresh, but it’s not that bad. Go ahead and microwave it.”   
  
Isaac smiled. He took the plate Derek handed him and put the bacon on it and put it in the microwave. “Thanks, Stiles,” Isaac whispered.    
  
“No problem,” Stiles replied. “That’s what friends are for.”   
  
Isaac grinned and his aroma made Derek smile. All of this chaos had a silver lining -- an opportunity for Derek to recruit. The fact that his pack was mostly made of loners/damaged people did not escape Derek. In a way, Derek was glad. Stiles had made him realize that everyone needs someone, no matter how fucked up they were. Stiles was Derek’s someone, and because of Stiles, Derek had a pack. A family, once again. Derek knew he wouldn’t be in this position; be this happy, if it wasn’t for him.   
  
Danny’s head poked into the kitchen. “I smell bacon. I demand bacon.”   
  
Stiles grinned and waved him over to the microwave, where Isaac was standing guard.    
  
“Don’t worry, Isaac,” Danny said, “I closed the door. We’ll have time to eat them all before they find out.”   
  
Derek chuckled and shook his head. “I want some too,” he said. “And I’m sure Stiles does too.”   
  
Isaac smiled. “Okay, then --”   
  
The sound of an explosion hit Isaac’s ears and he cowered once again. He looked around wildly but found nothing.   
  
“Hey, hey,” Stiles said, “Isaac, it’s okay. It’s just the television.” A rerun of Speed was showing, and it was at the part where the bus blew up. “Don’t worry, I’m going to turn it off now.”   
  
Stiles went into the living room and picked up the remote. His finger hovered over the power button but then the channel changed. Instead of a giant fireball, one of the Alphas stood there.   
  
“Ladies and Gentlemen of Beacon Hills,” Josh began.   
  
“Guys!” Stiles shouted. “Get your little werewolf asses in here, _right now_.” In ten seconds, the pack was all standing next to Stiles, watching the television. Danny and Derek had bacon sticking out of their mouths and Jackson was trying to grab one out of Danny’s mouth. Danny’s growl was enough to get Jackson to back off, however. Isaac hid his bacon stash behind his back, sneaking bites.   
  
“We are saddened to hear that you have chosen to reject our proposal. This is...,”   
  
“Crap,” Stiles said.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Dean and Sam was sitting on the stage and the Sheriff was sitting next to them. The rest of the officers and the people who chose to help fight had moved closer to the front.   
  
“That’s right,” Sam said. “The Argents should have a shitload of wolfsbane bullets at their place. Didn’t Derek say there were bombs in there, though?”   
  
“Oh yeah,” the Sheriff said. “Fuck. Okay. Rodriguez and Evans, you two head back to the station and pick up Molly. Then --”   
  
“Who’s Molly?” Dean asked.   
  
“Our bomb-sniffing dog.”   
  
“We have a bomb-sniffing dog?” Someone said. “Why do we have one?”   
  
“Better safe than sorry,” the Sheriff replied. “Good thing, too. We need her now.”   
  
“Cool,” Dean said simply.   
  
“Then, meet up with the Winchesters at the Argents’ house. Find out where the bombs are. The Winchesters can help find the bullets.”   
  
“Sounds good,” the Winchesters said in unison.    
  
“Perfect. Then, Peter and Linda, you two --”   
  
Someone burst through the doors and shouted, “You guys need to see this. Hurry up.”   
  
The Sheriff and the Winchesters jumped off the stage and scrambled up the aisle. There were a few people standing in front of the television.   
  
“... our proposal. This is unfortunate. However, we have prepared for this outcome. We did not want to do this, but you have taken the decision out of our hands. You must now choose. Live or die. If you want to live, then you must come to us. We’ll be deep into the woods, you can get to us by taking the dirt road just past the old gas station. You have until dawn.   
  
“If you chose to come to us, we will let you live. You will become a werewolf. You will be one of us. If you are not here by dawn, then you have chosen to stay with the town, and thus, you have chosen death. Whoever is not with us by dawn will not survive to see the sun set.    
  
“Life or death. Choose wisely.”   
  
The video feed cut off.    
  
“Fuck,” the Sheriff whispered. He turned to face everyone. “We already knew this was going to happen. There’s no backing down now. Let’s get back in there and prepare some more. Winchesters, Rodriguez and Evans, go now. We need those bullets as soon as possible.”   
  
Dean and Sam nodded and immediately departed, the officers trailing them. The Sheriff ushered them back into the auditorium to continue their discussion. His phone rang and he answered it.   
  
“Stiles. Yes, I just saw it. It changes nothing. We’ve already decided to fight back.”   
  
“No, Dad, it does change things. People _will_ go to them, just purely out of the instinct to survive. We’re going to lose people. They’re going to _gain_ werewolves.”   
  
The Sheriff paused. “You’re right. Crap.” He pondered for a few seconds, trying to come up with a solution.    
  
“Hold on,” Stiles said. The Sheriff waited. “Hey, can you call the news station and tell them we’re on our way? Danny says he can hack into the network and broadcast a message to the town, like what they just did.”   
  
The Sheriff narrowed his eyes. “He can do that?” He asked in his best Sheriff voice.   
  
“Daaaaad,” Stiles whined. “Not the time for that voice, seriously. Trying to survive here.”   
  
The Sheriff rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine. I’ll call them. Hurry up.” He hung up then called Dispatch through his walkie-talkie.   
  
“Dispatch! Call the news station and tell them the Hales are on their way, and to give them everything they need. No questions asked, just do it.”   
  
“Yes, sir,” Dispatch replied.   
  
The Sheriff started walking again, ignoring the goosebumps that crept up his body as hundreds of eyes followed every move he made.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The patrol car and the Impala stopped in front of the Argents’ house. Rodriguez and Evans got out and stood by the tape that blocked off the house. Dean and Sam joined them.    
  
“Do we know where exactly the weapons are?” Sam asked.   
  
“I think the Sheriff said they’re in the garage. Not sure, though,” Evans said.   
  
“Good place to start,” Dean said. He lifted the tape and held it up as the other three ducked underneath it and dropped it behind him. The four of them walked toward the garage.   
  
“Hey, Rodriguez?”   
  
“Yeah?”   
  
“Derek said something about bombs,” Dean said. “Weren’t we supposed to pick up one of the dogs?”   
  
“Oh yeah,” Rodriguez muttered. “Forgot.”   
  
“Can you smell them?”   
  
“I’ll try,” Rodriguez said as he inhaled through his nose. “Can’t really smell that much from the outside, though.”   
  
“Okay, you guys go ahead and go in. We’ll wait by the garage, open the door.”   
  
Evans nodded and headed for the front door. Rodriguez hung back a few steps, sniffing. Dean and Sam stood by the garage door and waited.    
  
Evans entered the house and waited for Rodriguez to join her. Once he entered the house, he took another deep breath through his nose and said, “Oh yeah, definitely got a bomb here. Go ahead and open the garage for them, I’ll try and see if I can find the bomb.”    
  
Evans nodded quickly and left Rodriguez. Rodriguez followed his nose into the kitchen and found the two dead Betas by the oven and crouched over them. He cocked his head and sniffed again, looking at the oven. Hesitantly, he cracked open the door and scanned it. Satisfied that there wasn’t any triggers, he opened the door and looked inside.   
  
“Whoa,” Evans said, staring at the bodies. “Who are they?”   
  
“I don’t know,” Rodriguez replied. “I think they’re werewolves as well. Not really sure what happened to them. Did you open the garage?”   
  
“Yeah, the Winchesters are checking the garage out now.”   
  
“Good.”   
  
“Did you find the bomb?” Evans asked, looking at Rodriguez. He was still staring inside the oven.   
  
“Yeah. It’s in here. No timer, looks like it’s remote-controlled. I think --”   
  
“Guys!” Sam shouted from the garage. “We found the bomb!”   
  
Rodriguez’s eyebrows went up high. “Another one?” He and Evans made their way to the garage and found Dean and Sam standing over a bomb hidden behind the water heater.    
  
“That’s not the only one,” Rodriguez said. “There’s one in the oven as well. Might be more.”   
  
“Those guys aren’t leaving anything to chance,” Dean said. “They really wanted to wipe out the Argents.”   
  
“Let’s just find the bullets and get out of here,” Evans said. Sam nodded in agreement, and the four of them searched the garage.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Okay, we’re good to go,” Danny said. “Ready anytime you are.”   
  
Derek and Stiles stood in front of the camera, looking at each other. “You ready?”   
  
“Not really,” Derek replied. “Let’s just do it.”   
  
Stiles nodded and gave Danny the thumbs up. Danny put up three fingers and counted down. When he hit zero, he pointed to Stiles and Derek, just as the red light on the camera went on. The teleprompter buzzed info life and words appeared.    
  
“Hey guys. It’s us, Derek and Stiles. Hey, Derek and Stiles sounds like a sitcom, we should totally --” Stiles went off script and shut up at Derek’s glare. “Right. Anyway, obviously, you all saw the Alphas’ footage. They’re threatening to kill us and all that.”   
  
Derek piped in, “We want to tell you all that we will do our best to protect you all. We’re going to fight for this town. We’re going to win this battle.”   
  
“Guys,” Stiles said. “Don’t go to them, please. I speak from experience, you shouldn’t become a werewolf because you _have_ to. If you _want_ to be one, then come to us. We’ll give you the bite. We’re a family, and we’ll protect you. They’re not interested in protecting you, they’re only interested in using you guys. They want to scare you.”   
  
“Either way, going to them would be a mistake. We can’t split this town in half,” Derek added. “We need to stay together. We need to work together, that’s the only way we’ll come out of this alive. If you go to them, then we’ve already lost.”   
  
“Please, don’t give up on this town, don’t give up on each other. Trust in us, trust in my father and the people that put their lives on the line everyday to protect this town. Trust us. We’ll protect you.”   
  
Scott turned the camera and the teleprompter off and Stiles and Derek sighed. Lydia grinned. “That was great,” Danny said, bumping into Lydia. “Great job.”   
  
“Thanks,” Lydia smiled smugly. “Hopefully that convinced them.”   
  
“Hopefully. Come on, we should meet up with the Sheriff now,” Derek said. “Work out a plan with them.”   
  
The pack exited the station and poured into their cars and the station workers watched them leave in a single file, led by the Camaro and the Jeep.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Josh’s phone rang again. He stopped walking and answered it, Boomer and Johnny standing behind him.    
  
“What is it? I see. Okay. Thank you, Skyler.”   
  
“What’s wrong?” Johnny asked.   
  
“Boomer, do you still have the detonator with you?”   
  
“For the bombs in the Argent house? Yeah.”   
  
“Good, blow it up.”   
  
Boomer raised an eyebrow and pulled out the detonator. Johnny asked, “Why? What’s going on?”   
  
“The Argents’ house is the headquarters of the hunters. They meet there all the time. It’s where all of their weaponry is stored. The town is aware of that, and they’re raiding the house now for wolfsbane bullets. Let’s not give them ammo against us.”   
  
“Ahh, makes sense,” Johnny said, looking at Boomer. Boomer shrugged and hit the red button.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Dean dropped the heavy case into the trunk of the Impala. Sam dumped his case into the trunk and leaned against the car, and said, “They’ve got a lot of bullets. Were they expecting a war or something?”  
  
“I haven’t got a clue, but I’m not complaining,” Dean said. “Since we _are_ in the middle of a war after all.”  
  
Sam chuckled. “Good point. Come on, let’s get the rest.”  
  
Rodriguez had just exited the garage with two cases in his arms. Evans was still inside, looking over the wide array of weaponry stored. She had her eye on the AK-47s, specifically.  
  
“Jesus Christ,” Evans muttered. “I knew I didn’t like them for a reason.”   
  
“Stop fucking around, Evans,” Rodriguez shouted. “Pick up a crate.” Evans rolled his eyes and picked one up and began walking.  
  
Dean and Sam had just ducked under the tape when Rodriguez froze, halfway across the lawn. He dropped the cases and turned, shouting, “Evans! Get the fu--”  
  
The bomb in the master bedroom exploded first, closely followed by the one in the kitchen and then the one in the garage. The flames swallowed Evans up immediately. The house went up into a gigantic fireball, rapidly expanding, lighting the bushes and trees nearby up. The flames swallowed Rodriguez up before the shockwave spat him out and sent Sam and Dean flying backwards, slamming into the Impala and the patrol car. Rodriguez tumbled on the sidewalk, half of him burning.  
  
Rodriguez’s screaming jolted Dean out of his daze and he scrambled to his feet. He grabbed a blanket from the trunk of his car and covered Rodriguez with it, stamping out the flames. After he was sure the fire was out, Dean removed the blanket and gazed at Rodriguez.   
  
“Fuck,” Dean muttered. He took out his cell phone and dialed the Sheriff’s number.  
  
“Evans,” Rodriguez whispered. Dean looked at the charred remains of the house. You couldn’t even call it a house anymore. There wasn’t even anything left; even the neighboring houses were half gone. He watched people stream out of those houses, crying and screaming.  
  
“She’s gone,” Dean whispered. “I’m sorry, she’s gone.”  
  
Rodriguez groaned and slipped out of consciousness.


	14. Recruiting

# Chapter Thirteen

  
The pack had just pulled into the school parking lot when the explosion rocked the area. Derek slammed on the brakes and Stiles nearly rear-ended him, stopping just an inch away. Jackson’ Porsche stopped a few feet away. They could see the top of the fireball roar in the distance.   
  
“That’s Allison’s place,” Scott whispered. Stiles grimaced and Boyd, sitting in the back, glanced at him with a worried look. Stiles cracked open the window and shouted, “Derek? What do we do?”   
  
“I don’t know,” came the reply. “I think maybe we need to --”   
  
Stiles scrunched his forehead, wondering why Derek had stopped speaking. Scott yanked at Stiles’ arm, pointing at the direction of the auditorium. Stiles looked at what he was looking at and saw the Sheriff walking briskly toward them, cell phone in hand. He snapped it shut and ran the rest of the way.   
  
“Scott, get in the back,” the Sheriff said and Scott immediately obliged. The Sheriff got in the Jeep and said, “Drive. Argents’ place. Now.”   
  
“Okay, okay,” Stiles replied, just as Derek sped off. Stiles hit the gas pedal and the Jeep roared.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles gaped as he parked the Jeep, just as an ambulance screeched to a stop nearby. Scott was staring out the window, a wall of water covering his corneas. Derek got out of his Camaro, followed by Isaac and Erica. Stiles got out and wrapped his arms around Derek’s waist when he got to him.   
  
Jackson, Danny, and Lydia joined the group after Jackson parked. Boyd had gotten out of the Jeep, but Scott was still sitting inside, staring. The Sheriff immediately made a beeline for the Winchesters. Derek didn’t move a muscle until he heard a groan. He broke away from Stiles and ran over to where Rodriguez was lying, just in front of the Impala.    
  
“You’re okay,” Derek whispered, holding Rodriguez's head straight. “Rodriguez, listen to me. You’re okay.”   
  
Stiles held back as the other werewolves trickled down toward Derek and Rodriguez. Lydia knelt down next to Derek and murmured, burying her hand in his thick black hair. The paramedics tried to push Derek and Lydia out of the way but Derek snarled and his fangs and crimson eyes burst through. The paramedics backed off.   
  
“Derek, let them take care of him, they know what they’re doing,” the Sheriff said, standing near the Winchesters.   
  
“No,” Derek said. “He needs his Alpha. I need to help him heal. They can’t do anything for him, only we can.”   
  
The Sheriff sighed and closed his eyes. After he opened them, he waved the paramedics away from Rodriguez and they scrambled over to the Winchesters.   
  
Stiles went back to where Scott was. “Hey, Scott? You okay?”   
  
Scott shook his head. “It’s gone. It’s just gone.”   
  
Stiles looked back at the house, or at where the house used to be. There wasn’t even anything left, like a quarter of the Hale house still stood. There was literally nothing left of the house; the explosion had decimated everything.    
  
“I lost my virginity in there,” Scott whispered. “Allison and I... even with her parents hunting me, we spent so much time in there. And now, it’s just gone. Just like that, and so is she.”   
  
Stiles’ face fell. “Scott... I’m sorry, I --”   
  
“Stop,” Scott said. “I don’t want to cry again. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. Let’s just help them.”   
  
Scott climbed out of the jeep and brushed past Stiles. Stiles grabbed his wrist and pulled him in for a hug.    
  
“I get you’re trying to be tough right now, Scott,” Stiles whispered. “This is a bad time to grieve, but you’ve got every right to do that.”   
  
Scott’s arms remained at his side. “I know, but I really can’t. Not right now. Let me go, please.”   
  
Reluctantly, Stiles let go. Scott turned away from Stiles and went over to where the pack was.   
  
“Rodriguez,” Derek whispered. “Can you hear me?”   
  
Rodriguez stirred, murmuring.    
  
“Rodriguez, listen to my voice,” Derek’s Alpha voice stated. “Listen to me. Focus on healing, focus on nothing but that. You can do it.”   
  
Rodriguez muttered something but Derek didn’t catch it. “What?”   
  
“Matt,” Rodriguez whispered. Derek raised his eyebrows in confusion.   
  
“Matt,” Rodriguez repeated. “Call me... Matt. Please.”   
  
Derek smiled. “Okay, Matt, as long as you focus on healing.”    
  
“Listen to him,” Lydia crooned, stroking Matt’s hair. “Focus, please. Focus.”   
  
Derek could see the burns on his face begin to mend and he breathed out a sigh of relief. “That’s right, Matt. You’re doing great. Keep going.”   
  
“You guys need to remove his clothes,” one of the paramedics said. “Otherwise they’ll merge with the skin.”   
  
Derek growled. Immediately, he and Lydia grew out their claws and tore apart Matt’s shirt. Danny knelt down and ripped apart the remains of his pants, slowly tearing the cloth away from the burnt skin. Matt screamed, but Derek shoved his arm into Matt’s mouth and ordered, “Bite down.”   
  
Matt bit down, hard. Derek’s face hardened as he felt Matt’s fangs pierce his skin, but he made no movements.   
  
“Keep going,” Derek told Danny. Jackson joined Danny, helping him tear apart the rest of this pants. Then, they carefully removed his briefs.    
  
Fully stripped of his clothes, Derek whispered to Matt, “Okay, focus on healing again. You’ll be fine. You _are_ fine.”   
  
Slowly, Matt let go of Derek’s arm and groaned as his burns mended. The process was painfully slow, but it was going. The paramedic handed Danny a small towel and said, “For his, well, you know.”   
  
Danny nodded and covered Matt’s genitals with the towel. Fortunately, the fire didn’t touch them. Danny curled himself around the leg that wasn’t burnt and dragged Jackson down with him. Lydia scooted closer to Matt’s shoulder and kept stroking Matt’s hair. Scott joined Lydia, resting his head on Matt’s chest, his back to the remains of the house.   
  
The paramedic stared at the pack with wide eyes and eyebrows, then scrambled away after receiving a glare from Derek.    
  
“Come on, guys,” Stiles said to the new members. “This is what a pack does for each other. Being close to each other makes us all stronger, better. This will help Matt heal faster. It’s a little weird at first, but you get used to it.”   
  
Stiles sat down near Derek and held Matt’s hand with one hand, and rested the other one on Derek’s leg.    
  
Boyd was the first one to move. Boyd sat down next to Stiles and stared at the burns. Stiles could smell his uncertainty. Erica and Isaac settled down next to Danny and Jackson, but none of them were touching Matt.    
  
_Progress,_ Stiles thought. Actual physical contact would be better for Matt, but Stiles knew he couldn’t force them to do so. They have been werewolves for only an hour or two, after all.   
  
The Sheriff watched the pack surround Matt and he sighed a breath of relief when he saw one of the smaller burns shrivel and disappear. He turned to the Winchesters and asked, “What the fuck happened?”   
  
Sam sighed. One of the paramedics was tending to him -- he had a dislocated arm and a cut on his head. “I’m not sure. When we got here, Rodriguez said he found a bomb in the kitchen, and we found one in the garage. Judging from the explosion, there was at least one more, upstairs.”   
  
“We found the bullets,” Dean said. “We were loading it into my car. Evans was still inside the garage, Rodriguez was coming out, and we were about to go back inside to pick up the rest of them. Then, Rodriguez just dropped everything, literally, and he tried to go back for Evans, but then the bombs just went off. The next thing I knew, I was lying on my back by my car -- those sons of bitches blew out my windows -- and I heard Rodriguez screaming."   
  
Sam screamed as the paramedic popped his shoulder back into its socket. He glared at the paramedic.   
Dean continued, “So, I grabbed a blanket and put out the fire on him. I looked around, but couldn’t see Evans anywhere. Pretty sure there’s not any trace of her left now. Sam was out cold, I had to slap him awake after I called you.”  
  
The Sheriff growled, and Dean raised an eyebrow in surprise. Dean could see Stiles gaping at his father with his mouth slightly open.   
  
“If it’s any consolation, I’m sure it was quick,” Sam said.   
  
“It’s not,” the Sheriff snapped. “We’re losing way too many people, and the fucking battle hasn’t even started. We can’t do this, we can’t fight them. We’re just going to lose more people, and --”  
  
“Dad!”  
  
Stiles got up and approached the Sheriff.   
  
“Dad, don’t say that. We _have_ to do this. We have to fight back.”  
  
“Stiles, I can’t lose you too,” the Sheriff stammered. “I -- I just can’t go through that again, I --”  
  
“Dad,” Stiles softly said. “You’re not going to lose me. I promise. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” The Sheriff stifled a sob, but then Stiles hugged him and he broke down.   
  
“I’m just afraid, Stiles,” the Sheriff whispered. “Allison, Castiel, and now Evans, what if you’re next? I just... I can’t deal with that, I just can’t.”  
  
“Dad,” Stiles said as his grip around the Sheriff tightened. “It’s okay to be afraid. I’m afraid too. We don’t have a choice. We have to do this, or we all die. This is the only way, the best way we can do this. Our best shot at survival. We have to do this.”  
  
The Sheriff looked into Stiles’ eyes and tears fell. “You’ve grown so much. I’m sorry I didn’t see it, but you’ve grown so much, even before all of this happened. You’re still so young, but you’re not a kid anymore, are you? You’re an adult. A werewolf. And you’ve done things... things I didn’t want you to ever do, like...”  
  
The Sheriff trailed off, but Stiles knew what he meant. Killing people. The memory of him tearing Melly’s head off was still fresh in his mind, as if he had done the deed just seconds ago. He could still remember the immense satisfaction he felt.   
  
That wasn’t all the Sheriff meant, though. The Sheriff wanted Stiles to enjoy his childhood, but his wife’s death (and his own breakdown) had robbed Stiles of that. Stiles had to watch his mother die in front of him and he couldn’t do anything. He knew that was why all Stiles wanted to do was protect everyone.   
  
The Sheriff knew Stiles couldn’t handle it if it happened to him again.  
  
Then, the Sheriff realized -- it did happen to him again. Allison.  
  
“Oh, Stiles,” the Sheriff murmured. “I’m so sorry. About everything.”  
  
“Dad,” Stiles said, visibly holding back his tears. “Not now. We don’t have the time for this. We need to prepare.”  
  
The Sheriff nodded his agreement but didn’t relinquish his hold on his son. Stiles squirmed around for a few seconds before the Sheriff gave in and let him go.  
  
“We’ll be fine, Dad.”  
  
“Right,” the Sheriff said, smiling. “What are you guys going to do now?”  
  
“We’re going to go back to my house,” Derek said. “We’re going to make sure Matt recovers, and we’re going to train all night. We need to be ready.”  
  
“Your house is too isolated,” the Sheriff protested. “You should --”  
  
“No,” Derek interrupted. “They’re not going to attack until dawn, at least. They’re recruiting, and the Alphas will fight with each other to make sure they all get a fair share of the recruits. None of them are leaving their hideouts.”  
  
The Sheriff pondered, and ultimately agreed. “You’re right. Okay. Stiles, I want you to text me updates every thirty minutes.”  
  
“Dad --”  
  
“No arguments. Every thirty minutes. I might stop by too. I need to know you guys are okay.”  
  
“Okay,” Stiles replied. “Fair enough.”  
  
The Sheriff went over to where Matt was lying and crouched by his head. “Hey, Rodriguez. I need you to pull through. That’s an order, okay?”  
  
Matt smiled weakly and whispered, “Will do, Sheriff.” The Sheriff smiled and moved away from Matt, as the pack lifted him up and carried him over to Stiles’ Jeep and put him into the passenger side. The Sheriff watched Stiles get in the Jeep and the rest of them pour into the Camaro and the Porsche and leave. He sighed.  
  
Turning to the Winchesters, the Sheriff said, “Okay, how much did we get?”  
  
Dean led the Sheriff to the trunk of the Impala and pointed out the five crates that laid there.   
  
“Not even enough for all of them, and that’s assuming we don’t miss. Shit.”  
  
“We just need to be smart,” Sam said. “Pick our targets. Give those bullets to the best shooters. We’ll come up with a strategy.”  
  
“We’re going to have to,” the Sheriff said darkly. “Or we’re all fucked.”  
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Son of a fucking bitch.”   
  
“What?”   
  
“That’s my _house_ ,” Chris Argent muttered.   
  
The nurse looked at the TV. The wreckage that used to be the Argents’ house was being shown on the news.   
  
“Not anymore?” The nurse offered with a sheepish shrug. Chris’ eyes got so narrow the nurse wasn’t sure if he could even see through them anymore. “Sorry about that, Mr. Argent,” she said as she hung up a new IV bag.   
  
Chris chose to pretend the nurse didn’t say anything offensive. “Is there an update about my wife yet?”   
  
“I’ll check. I’ll be right back,” the nurse said and exited. Chris sighed and sank deeper into his pillow, grimacing at the memory of his non-existent house. His home was literally gone, his daughter dead, and his wife? Who knows? The doctors have been avoiding him.    
  
And the pain in his chest was getting worse.   
  
Melissa McCall walked into the room and sighed. “Chris, I am so sorry about your home. I’m sorry about everything.”   
  
Chris said nothing.   
  
“I’ve got an update on your wife,” Melissa continued. That got Chris’ attention. “It’s not good news, however. I told you two that Victoria needed to rest because she hit her head pretty hard. Her head got knocked around pretty bad again, and right now, she’s in a coma. There isn’t much brain activity.”   
  
Chris stared.   
  
“I’m sorry, but I really have no idea when, or _if_ , she’s waking up. The good news is, there’s no internal bleeding in her brain, so there’s no surgery needed. The doctors have fixed up her other injuries, so all we can do for her now is keep her comfortable. The rest is up to her.”   
  
Chris closed his eyes and a silent groan squirmed out of his throat.    
  
“Maybe... I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear right now, but maybe you should consider getting Derek and Stiles to bite her. At least she’d --”   
  
“ _No._ Absolutely not. She’d never forgive me if I did that to her, no matter how much I want her back. That will never happen.”   
  
“Okay,” Melissa whispered. “Just a thought.” She smiled a sad smile and headed for the door.    
  
“Wait,” Chris said. “I need a favor.”   
  
“Yeah?”   
  
“Get me out of here.”   
  
“Are you kidding me? Didn’t we go through this the last time? You ignored me and your wife’s in a coma now, and you want to do the exact same thing again?”   
  
Chris pursed his lips. “Yes, Melissa. Despite how I feel right now, I am still the one who’s best equipped for this. I know werewolves. I know this town. Obviously, there’s a plan being made right now to defend this town, and I need to be there. I need to help. I can’t just lie here and wait for them to come in here and rip me apart, not after what they did to Allison and to my wife.   
  
“Please, Melissa.”   
  
Melissa stared at Chris for a while before groaning and throwing her hands up. “If you die, it’s not my fault,” she muttered as she helped Chris out of the bed and into a wheelchair. As she wheeled him out of the hospital, she said, “You need to know how fragile you are. One errant hit, and your ribs could puncture your lungs or your heart. Maybe _you_ should get the bite instead.”   
  
Chris laughed at the absurdity of Melissa’s suggestion, then stopped. The possibility that it _might_ be a good idea appeared in his head but he brushed it away quickly and scoffed at himself.   
  
“Melissa, I don’t have a car. I don’t have anything, will you please drive me to where the Sheriff is?”   
  
“Now I’m your chauffeur?” Melissa rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine. I expect a hefty tip,” she added as she called the Sheriff to get his whereabouts.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The ears of the Alphas around the table perked up as a soft howl pierced their eardrums. It was coming from the entrance to their hideout.   
  
“Well,” Josh said. “It seems the first ones have arrived.”   
  
A few minutes later, a car slowly came into view. One of the Betas motioned for them to park near the table. The five Alphas stood next to each other, waiting for the passengers to exit the car.    
  
A man with dark complexion climbed out of the driver’s side. A blond woman got out of the passenger side and opened the door to the back seat and a young boy climbed out. The woman clutch onto the boy’s hand and she practically dragged him behind as she joined her husband, both of them staring at the Alphas nervously.    
  
Josh cleared his throat and, with his eyebrows, beckoned them. The man tried to look courageous, but his aroma betrayed him. He walked in front of his wife and approached the Alphas.   
  
“I’m David. This is my wife, Annabel.”   
  
“Hello,” Josh said sweetly, almost too sweetly. “I’m Josh. This is Boomer, Johnny, Zoe, and Aden.”   
  
The little boy inched forward, ahead of his parents, who took no notice. Zoe looked down at him curiously. She bent her knees until she was eye-level with the boy and she asked, “What’s your name?”   
  
“He’s deaf,” Annabel said nervously. “He can’t understand you.”   
  
“Oh?” Zoe smirked. She raised her hands and signed, “My name is Zoe,” she said, finger-spelling her name. “What’s your name?”   
  
“What are you doing?” Annabel asked.   
  
“What do you think I’m doing? I’m communicating with your son.”   
  
“But, he doesn’t know sign language.”   
  
Zoe raised an eyebrow and got up. “Okay, so how exactly do you talk with him?”   
  
“We... write,” David said. “Gestures when we’re at home.”    
  
Zoe gaped at him. “How old is he?”   
  
“He’s twelve.”   
  
“So, you’ve been _writing_ to him for twelve fucking years? Why didn’t you learn sign language?”   
  
“Talking with your hands is just... not normal,” Annabel whispered. “We just wanted him to be normal.”   
  
“You’re kidding me, right? In your attempt to make him ‘normal’, you cut him off from the world, essentially?”   
  
Annabel stammered, but David spoke, “If you give him the bite, will he be able to hear?”   
  
Zoe narrowed her eyes. “That depends. How did he become deaf?”   
  
“He was born that way.”   
  
“Probably not, then. What if he becomes a werewolf but still can’t hear? What will you guys do then?”   
  
The couple looked at each other; neither of them knew what to say.   
  
“You guys disgust me. Get the fuck out of here.”   
  
“But, I --”   
  
“We have no interest in taking shitty people like you. This boy has obviously missed out on life because he doesn’t even know how to communicate with _anyone_ , because you two don’t even want to take the time to learn sign language. When’s the last time you sat down and had a good conversation with him?”   
  
“He’s too young to have an conversation like that, I --”   
  
“Bullshit!” Zoe raged. “He’s _twelve_. He’s old enough to understand things. At least, he would be, if you two raised him right. Get out before I rip you two apart.”   
  
The other Alphas could feel the anger radiating from Zoe’s body, but none of them opposed her. They stood behind her, watching the reaction of the couple.   
  
“Okay, okay,” David said softly. He reached for Brandon’s hand but Zoe snarled. “He stays. He deserves better people than you two.”   
  
David backed off and ushered his wife toward their car. As they were rapidly retreating, Boomer’s eyes went red immediately and he growled. “What the fuck are you two doing?”   
  
“She-- she told us to leave,” David stammered.   
  
Boomer took a step, then another. “I don’t give a fuck what she said. You don’t leave your son with a bunch of strangers, especially if they’re _werewolves_ , without a fight. You don’t just abandon your own child like that.”   
  
Annabel’s mouth dropped and her eyes went wide. She clawed at her husband’s shoulder and whimpered. David drew her behind him and said, “O-- Okay, give us Brandon back, please.”   
  
“Too fucking late,” Boomer growled. In a flash, his hands were wrapped around David and Annabel’s necks and they were pinned against their car. Boomer squeezed their necks, cutting off any cries that escaped their throats.   
  
“Zoe’s right, you two are appalling. Disgusting. You don’t even deserve to breathe. Pathetic human beings,” Boomer growled. His claws extended.    
  
“Please, no, I’m so--”   
  
Boomer wiped his claws on their clothes, getting rid of the blood that stained them. He turned around and walked away, the two bodies sliding to the ground slowly, blood gushing out of their throats. Zoe watched the boy carefully. Brandon was watching his parents die, and he was completely indifferent. Zoe wasn’t sure if he just simply didn’t care, or if he didn’t understand what he was seeing.   
  
“I’m sorry, this is going to hurt,” Zoe signed, even though Brandon didn’t understand her. She lifted Brandon’s shirt up and bit down on his hip, and Brandon howled in pain. Zoe let go and held him close and whispered, “Don’t worry, I’m going to raise you much better than either of those shitheads ever have. You’re going to be okay.”   
  
Boomer rejoined the Alpha lineup and looked at Johnny, then at Josh. “I hope there were no objections to that.”   
  
Johnny shrugged. Josh replied, “None. Two less people to kill when we hit them, anyway.” Aden kept his mouth shut, but his eyes spoke volumes. He was about to turn around when another car turned into the clearing and parked. A man got out and stormed over to the Alphas.   
  
“Give me the bite.”   
  
Josh raised one of his eyebrows. “And who are you?”   
  
“You can just call me Lahey. I want the bite.”   
  
“So demanding,” Josh scoffed. “And why should we give it to you?”   
  
“Because those Hales, they stole my son from me. That Stilinski shithead took Isaac from me, and I know I can’t do anything like _this_ ,” Mr. Lahey gestured to himself in disgust. “I’m pathetic. I want to be one of you, so I can fight back. So I can get my hands on that Stilinski bastard and break his neck.”   
  
Johnny scoffed. “Trust me, you wouldn’t be able to, even as a werewolf.”   
  
Isaac’s father glared at Johnny. “Watch me. Give me the fucking bite.”   
  
Johnny shrugged. Aden stepped forward and said, “Okay, no problem. Pull your shirt up.”   
  
“Why?”   
  
Aden rolled his eyes. “So I can give you the fucking bite, you idiot.”   
  
Mr. Lahey narrowed his eyes but pulled his shirt up. Josh closed his eyes and shook his head slowly as Aden bit down on Mr. Lahey’s hip. Mr. Lahey clenched his teeth in pain but made no noise.    
  
Boomer and Johnny looked at each other, silently communicating their agreement that Aden was a colossal idiot. Zoe was busy trying to soothe Brandon’s cries. Josh sighed and sat down on his chair and tapped his foot.   
  
A few minutes later, another two cars arrived.   
  
“Looking good so far,” Josh commented.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Matt was lying on the couch inside the Hale house, his eyes closed. It took him awhile, but he was finally able to sleep, and as he slept, his healing picked up. He would soon be rid of all of his burns, but it’d be a while before he was in fighting shape.  
  
Lydia was sitting nearby, watching him. She knew exactly how it felt to lie helpless as fire ravaged the body. Her hand rested on Matt’s arm, so he would feel the presence of at least one of the pack.  
  
The rest of the pack were outside, fighting each other.  
  
“Damn it, guys! I need to see _teamwork_. That’s our only shot,” Derek shouted. “We don’t have time for individual training. Teamwork is the only way we’re going to survive.”  
  
The pack stared at Derek, all of them panting apart from Stiles, who had been dispatching everyone with ease.   
  
“Okay, we’re going to split into two teams. Danny, Scott, and Erica, with me. The rest, you’re working together. We’re going to go all-out. Fight wisely, and most of all, _protect your team_.”  
  
Stiles, Jackson, Isaac, and Boyd separated themselves from the rest of the pack and stood on one side, facing the other team. After a few tense minutes, Derek made the first move.  
  
Derek shifted into his Alpha form and went straight for Boyd, who had been eyeing Erica. Boyd’s eyes went wide and he shrank back in terror as Derek snarled, his fangs prominent. Derek leapt and was seconds away from pouncing on Boyd when Stiles intercepted him and they tumbled into the ground.  
  
“Stay alert!” Jackson shouted, and Boyd snapped out of his daze. Scott, in his Beta form, was fighting with Jackson, and Boyd could see blond hair flapping around in the corner of his eye as Erica fought Isaac.   
  
That left Boyd and Danny. Danny didn’t go after Boyd, however. He went after Jackson. He hit Jackson’s side and the two of them crashed into the dirt, and Scott jumped, his claws extended. Just in the nick of time, however, Boyd shoved Scott out of the way and growled. He dug his claws into Danny’s sides and pulled him off Jackson, only to be rewarded with deep gashes down his back, courtesy of Scott.  
  
Boyd snarled and spun around, growling. Danny left another set of deep gashes on his back and Boyd howled in pain. Jackson pushed Boyd down on the ground and drop-kicked Danny several feet backwards, and then faced Scott, growling.  
  
“ _Never_ turn your back on your enemy,” Jackson said, watching both Scott and Danny. “Get up, Boyd.”  
  
Boyd slowly got up as Erica threw Isaac to the ground front of Jackson and Boyd. Erica was grinning, flexing her fingers and staring at the claws.  
  
“Damn, this feels really good,” Erica said. Isaac got up immediately and snarled at Erica.  
  
“Guys,” Jackson said. “Stop trying to fight them alone. You are _not_ alone. You have packmates. Trust me, trust each --”  
  
Scott broke out into a run and Jackson shut up, crouched, and darted forward. They met halfway and the others could hear the crash. Boyd and Erica winced, but Isaac and Danny took advantage of the opening and attacked. Isaac sent Erica flying backwards into a tree and Danny punched Boyd’s stomach and then swept his legs out and Boyd fell onto his back. Isaac went back and barreled into Danny, freeing Boyd.   
  
Boyd growled and got up, his eyes glowing. “Damn it,” he growled. He glanced over at the fight between Scott and Jackson for a second before focusing on Erica. She was picking herself up and Boyd ran for her, snarling. Erica perked up and jumped out of the way but Boyd bounced off the tree and hit Erica’s back and they sprawled on the ground, both of them growling.  
  
Derek and Stiles, both in their Alpha forms, were fighting. Both of them had slashed each other, and blood was dripping down their furs. Derek growled and jumped. Stiles jumped as well and they collided midair and slammed into the ground. After tumbling a few times, Stiles ended up on top and roared into Derek’s face. Neither of them moved for a few seconds.  
  
Derek reverted to his human form, and so did Stiles. Naked, Stiles was straddling Derek’s hips, and he could feel Derek’s cock underneath him. His hands were wrapped around Derek’s wrists, pinning him to the ground. Breathing heavily, Stiles licked the bottom of his lips and Derek watched the tongue flicker. He groaned.  
  
“I don’t hear any training!” Derek shouted. Their eyes were still on each other, but they could hear the rest of the pack scrambling and resuming their fights. Stiles smirked and said, “This is probably a bad idea.”  
  
Derek ignored him and instead said, “You're healing really fast and you’ve gotten much stronger. It scares me how strong you’ve gotten. I’m supposed to be winning those fights.”  
  
“You’re slacking off, then,” Stiles said, grinning. He shifted his hips slightly and Derek growled.   
  
_“Not here,”_ Derek whispered, so low that only Stiles heard him. “Get off.”  
  
“Make me,” Stiles replied, biting the bottom of his lip. Derek narrowed his eyes then pushed his hips up, buckling Stiles up. Stiles loosened his grip on Derek’s wrists to steady himself and Derek shoved Stiles off him and got up with a smug look.   
  
“Derek!”  
  
The pack looked at the house, where Lydia was outside, shouting.   
  
“Matt’s awake. He wants to talk to you.”  
  
Derek nodded and said, “Okay, guys. Good. Now, everyone versus Stiles.”  
  
“What?” Stiles squeaked. “That’s not fair.”  
  
“Probably not, but I’m not sure who it’s not fair to, you or them. They need to prepare just in case they go up against an Alpha.”  
  
Stiles pouted but didn’t protest any further. Derek smiled and pulled on his shorts before making the trek down to the house. He could hear the Betas trying to surprise Stiles by attacking immediately. He was pretty sure their plan had backfired, though.  
  
“Hey Matt,” Derek said as he sat on the chair. “How are you feeling?”  
  
“Better,” Matt said. The burns were almost completely gone, but he was still visibly fatigued. “Derek, I need to get back to the Sheriff. I need to help them plan out a defense.”  
  
“Don’t worry about that,” Derek said. “The Winchesters are there. They’ve the best people we’ve got. They’ll come up with something good. You need to get your energy back, then you need to train with us. You haven’t been able to practice fighting. I don’t want your first time to be on the battlefield. You need to know how to use what you’ve got.”  
  
“But, --”  
  
“If it makes you feel better, go ahead and call the Sheriff, talk to him, but I need you here.”  
  
Matt nodded. “Okay, that makes sense. And Derek? Thank you.”  
  
Derek smiled. “No need to thank me. Just eat something then go back to sleep. Rest.”  
  
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. Help me up, please,” Matt said. Derek gripped the arm Matt offered and pulled him up gently. Matt exhaled as he steadied himself on his feet and took slow steps toward the kitchen. Derek walked behind him, ready to catch him if he collapsed.  
  
Derek heard an engine approach the house, but it wasn’t a familiar one. He double-checked on Matt, who was making good progress toward the kitchen, then doubled back to the front door. When he got out of the house, he saw a car pull into the clearing and park. A man got out and glanced around.  
  
The pack had stopped their skirmish and stared at the man. Stiles cocked his head and his ultraviolet eyes shone.  
  
“Coach?” Scott said.  
  
Coach Finstock grinned. “Hey, boys.”  
  
“What are you doing here?”  
  
“Well, I can’t let my boys have all the fun, prancing around as werewolves, defending the town, can I? I’m here to help.”  
  
“And by help,” Derek questioned, “you mean...?”  
  
“So, you’re Derek Hale. I guess the whole werewolf thing explains why you’ve been creeping around practices and games. I thought you were just a pedophile, or maybe you wanted some sweet Cupcake,” Finstock waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Glad to hear you had good intentions, though.”  
  
“You didn’t answer my question,” Derek stated.  
  
“I want the bite,” Finstock said, grinning. “I’m the Coach. I’ve got to know what my players are juicing on, after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finstock! Fuck yeah.


	15. The Battle Begins

# Chapter Fourteen

  
“Coach?”   
  
“You heard me, McCall.”   
  
The pack made their way into the clearing, surrounding the Coach. Stiles, still in his Alpha form, trotted over to him and bared his teeth.   
  
“Whoa, wolfy, chill out,” Coach Finstock said, backing off.   
  
“That’s Stilinski,” Jackson said. Finstock raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Well, of course it is,” he said, ruffling the top of Stiles’ head. Stiles growled softly and trotted over to where he stashed his shorts, shifted, and pulled them on.   
  
“All fucking around aside,” Derek said, “I need to know why you want the bite.”   
  
All signs of amusement disappeared from Finstock’s face. “I liked the Argent girl. Her parents? Not so much, but I liked her. I like you guys, you’ve been one of the best teams I’ve ever coached, and not just because you guys are good. I like this town. I like living here, otherwise I would have taken that job offer at UCLA. I guess I just want to keep living here, and I can see that’s not going to happen unless we protect this town.”   
  
Rodriguez stumbled out of the house, and Lydia went to support him.   
  
“And I’d say we’re seriously outnumbered, so I figured you guys might appreciate any help you could get.”   
  
Derek nodded, “You’re right, we do need help. Are you sure, though? This isn’t something you can just give back after you’re done. It’ll be a part of you, forever.”   
  
Coach Finstock shrugged. “Dude, werewolves. I’m not going to complain about being one. I think werewolves are pretty awesome. I figure you guys can help me out when it comes to the control thing, but other than that, what drawbacks are there?”   
  
Derek smirked. “None, as far as I’m concerned. Okay, then.”   
  
Stiles grinned. He walked over to Coach and said, “Just so you know, my name is _Stilinski_. Call be Bilinski or Balinski or anything like that again, and I’ll rip out your throat. With my teeth.”   
  
“Okay, Balinski.”   
  
Stiles chuckled. “Shirt, up. It’s gonna hurt for a bit, but I’m sure you can suck it up.” Finstock lifted his shirt up and waited. He watched Stiles’ teeth grow in. Stiles reached down to bite Finstock, but then Finstock spoke.   
  
“So... those chains?”   
  
Stiles barked out a laugh. He bit down, let go, then said, “It was for Scott. Full moon, had to chain him up so he wouldn’t kill anyone.”   
  
Groaning and clutching his hip, Finstock replied, “Good to know. Thought you two were into some serious S&M.”   
  
“And by you two, you mean...?”   
  
“You and McCall.”   
  
Stiles shuddered. “No, Coach. Just no. Never happening.”   
  
“Obviously, I know that,” Coach replied. “You’ve got a really sexy guy right --” he shut his eyes and howled in pain and the bite dissipated. His eyes snapped open and a light shade of pink replaced his normally hazel eyes, decorated by green speckles.   
  
“Jesus Christ,” Jackson muttered. “You really are a cupcake.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Okay, perfect,” the Sheriff said. He was standing in front of a table with the map of Beacon Hills splayed on top. Around him stood a few of his officers, the Winchesters, and several of the more bold residents. They were back at the auditorium, and the rest of the residents that stuck around to help were busy debating, carrying things around, and sorting boxes.   
  
“You say we’ve got a few officers who are good at long-distance shooting, right?” Dean asked. “They should pick a spot, somewhere up high, and they should have a crate of wolfsbane bullets. They can just pick them off.”   
  
The Sheriff nodded.    
  
“Sheriff,” Sam said. “I hope you realize that we’re going to need to resort to a lot more... let’s just say, warlike tactics. They’re going to use every advantage they have. We need to, as well. This is a war.”   
  
“What are you trying to say?”   
  
“I’m saying, we need to do things we would never normally even consider. Things that might paint us in a negative image. We have to. We can’t sort tactics into black and white, we’re going have to dip into grey territory.”   
  
“Really, Sam?”   
  
“Shut up, Dean.”   
  
“Yeah, I’m aware of that,” the Sheriff said. “I might be an old sheriff, but I did serve in the army when I was younger.”   
  
“Oh? Okay, then.”   
  
“Okay, now then, Peter,” he pointed to one of the residents, then at one of his officers, “Miller, you two should --”   
  
The door opened and Melissa McCall walked in, followed by Chris Argent.   
  
The Sheriff glared at Chris. “What are you doing here?”    
  
“Being his personal slave, apparently,” Melissa muttered.   
  
“I can’t just lie down and do nothing,” Chris said. “I need to help. I need to do _something_.”   
  
“That’s not a good idea,” the Sheriff dismissed. “You should be with your wife.”   
  
“She’s in a coma. Doctors don’t know if she’ll ever wake up,” Chris said. The Sheriff glanced at Melissa and the look on her face confirmed Chris’ statement. “I’ve lost my daughter. Lost my house. I’ve lost almost everything. Do you really think I can just sit and wait for them to come and tear my throat off? No. I need to do something.”   
  
The Sheriff sighed. “Miller, get him a chair,” he said simply. Once Chris had sat down, the Sheriff got into his face. “Let me make something clear, Argent,” the Sheriff said, his voice authoritative. “I understand you’re grieving, but if you touch a single hair on my son’s head, I will end you. Do you understand me?”   
  
Chris swallowed. “Yeah.”   
  
“Good,” the Sheriff said. Melissa was now standing by the Sheriff, and she put her hand on the Sheriff’s arm. “What can I do to help?”   
  
The Sheriff looked at her and smiled. “You’re already doing plenty,” he said. “But, if you want to do more, just stick around. I’m sure someone here needs help.” Melissa nodded and gave him a quick peck on his cheek. The Sheriff kept his face as firm as a rock, but Sam could see the redness taking over his neck.    
  
“Okay, now, Peter and Miller, you two need to --”   
  
The door interrupted again, opening to welcome Dr. Deaton in. He was carrying a bag. He placed it on top of the table and said, “I think this should help tip this fight into our favor.”   
  
“What’s that?” Dean asked, poking at it.   
  
“That’s --”   
  
“Mountain Ash,” Chris whispered, shock evident in his face. “Where did you get that?”   
  
Dr. Deaton smiled. “I have my ways. This isn’t the only bag, I’ve got two more.”   
  
“What the fuck is Mountain Ash?” Dean questioned.   
  
“Magic,” Dr. Deaton said simply. “It’s very rare. It acts as a barrier; many supernatural creatures can’t cross it, including werewolves. However, the barrier has to be created by certain individuals. I’m one of the only three people in town who can create them. Your son, Sheriff, is another one.”   
  
The Sheriff’s eyebrows raised in question and Chris asked, “What, Stiles? Are you sure?”   
  
“Yes, I am. Very sure.”   
  
“So... what do we do with this?”   
  
“You can do a few things with it. You could pour it around an area or a building and put people who won’t be involved in the fight -- children, I’m hoping, inside it. It’ll protect them.   
  
“Or, you can do the opposite. You can use it to trap the werewolves, but it’s very dangerous to do so. Risky. But, it’s a risk that could pay off.”   
  
“You said Stiles could make the barrier too, right?” Sam asked. “But, isn’t he a werewolf too? Shouldn’t the barrier apply to him too?”   
  
“Normally, yes, but Stiles is special,” Dr. Deaton said cryptically.    
  
“What do you mean _special?”_ The Sheriff asked, his eyes squinted suspiciously.   
  
“It doesn’t matter. What does matter is, he and I are the only ones here that are capable of creating this barrier. That’s what’s important.”   
  
“Okay, fine,” the Sheriff replied. “Any ideas on what to do now?”   
  
The group began throwing out ideas and debating, arguing on how they should use the Mountain Ash. Melissa stood quietly, watching the men talk. Especially the Sheriff. She knew this was going to get ugly, really ugly, soon. She was, however, confident in her town and in her son. She knew everything would be fine.   
  
She was wrong.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles rubbed his head into Derek’s shoulder and smiled. Derek was resting his head on his arm and his eyes were closed, but he wasn’t sleeping. His lips curled slightly.   
  
“Training went pretty good today, I think. I’m kind of surprised at how much ass Coach kicked today.”   
  
“He’s pretty good,” Derek agreed. “I think he must have taken some karate lessons.”    
  
Stiles grinned and his hand crept from Derek’s chest down to his cock, which was hidden under the sheet. Derek opened one eye and glared at Stiles, who replied by raising a finger over his mouth and shushing him. The pack was inside the house, after all, apart from Finstock, who had gone home.   
  
Stiles’ hand wrapped itself around Derek’s cock and he lifted it up and stroked it gingerly. It was beginning to harden. Derek leaned over to Stiles’ ear and bit down on the top part and whispered, “What are you doing?”   
  
“Could be our last night,” Stiles whispered back and added a small shrug. Derek narrowed his eyes and said, “Don’t say that.”   
  
Stiles just grinned and picked up his pace on Derek’s cock. Derek let out a quiet groan and closed his eyes. Stiles took advantage of the opportunity to lean over and lick his lips. Derek parted his lips to let Stiles in, but Stiles had left his mouth already, and instead, headed for his cock.    
  
“Stiles,” Derek whispered as Stiles licked the tip of Derek’s cock then swallowed it whole. Derek bucked his hips and groaned. Stiles clamped his hand over Derek’s mouth, stifling his groans, and hummed. The vibrations went straight to Derek’s balls and Derek pushed up even more. He grabbed the top of Stiles’ head and lightly pushed him down, getting no resistance from Stiles. He felt Stiles’ throat around the head of his cock and he looked down at Stiles, who was looking at him, his eyes a bright shade of purple.    
  
“Stiles,” Derek muttered through Stiles’ hand. Stiles pulled up for air and went back down, massaging his cock. Derek threw his head back and arched his back, pushing into Stiles’ throat. Stiles’ free hand went down to Derek’s balls and he played with them, rubbing them and pulling at them. His middle finger disappeared into the crack of Derek’s ass and found his hole. He played around the hole. Derek groaned loudly; not even Stiles’ hand could mask that.   
  
“Almo--”   
  
Stiles’ throat worked furiously and Derek’s balls drew in. Stiles drew back but kept the head of the cock inside his mouth and his hand snaked around the base of Derek’s cock and gripped tightly, pumping it. His tongue floated around the head and then rubbed the underside of the head, and Derek broke.   
  
Guttural noise escaped from Derek’s mouth as he came, shooting his load into Stiles’ mouth. He swallowed everything. After Derek’s orgasm ended, he panted and stared at Stiles. Stiles released his cock and moved up, swinging his leg over Derek’s chest, straddling him. His cock was hard, precome glistening. Derek grabbed Stiles’ ass and pulled him toward his head, taking his cock into his mouth. Stiles barely lasted; he came after he entered Derek’s throat.    
  
Stiles’ cock was in Derek’s mouth for a while, although not by choice. Derek’s hands held Stiles in place and his fingers were circling Stiles’ hole. Derek slipped one inside, and Stiles gasped, “Derek,” and leaned against the wall, panting. Derek dropped Stiles’ cock from his mouth and crept up the wall, keeping Stiles in place, until his cock met up with Stiles’ ass.    
  
“You’re already hard again?”   
  
“I don’t ever get soft around you,” Derek whispered, angling his cock so it poked at Stiles’ hole.    
  
“Fuck me, then,” Stiles said, latching his mouth around Derek’s neck. Derek pushed against Stiles’ hole and slipped inside surprisingly easily. Stiles moaned against Derek’s skin and Derek pulled Stiles down on his cock until his balls met Stiles’ ass. Stiles bit down on Derek’s neck and Derek growled, his eyes flaring red. “Stiles.”   
  
“Der-rek,” came the muffled reply. Derek picked Stiles up and flipped them so Stiles was lying on his back, Derek on top. Stiles bit down on Derek’s lip and pulled, begging for more. Derek adjusted himself until he was in a good position to fuck Stiles’ brains out. Then, he did just that.   
  
“Oh fuck fuck, Derek,” Stiles groaned, the pillow being the only barrier between the wall and Stiles’ head. Derek growled again and went faster, hitting harder. Stiles’ fingers raked through Derek’s hair and gripped tightly. “Fuck me harder,” Stiles whispered.    
  
At least, he tried to. It came out louder than Stiles planned and sounded more like an order, one Derek was perfectly willing to comply with. He increased his tempo and Stiles never throat never stopped working. If he wasn’t calling Derek’s name, he was moaning and groaning.   
  
Derek buried his face into Stiles’ neck and howled as he came. The howl was barely muffled against Stiles’ skin. Stiles grabbed his own cock, which was squeezed tightly between his and Derek’s bodies, and jerked. Derek pushed Stiles’ hand away and replaced it with his own, staring into Stiles’ eyes as he forced an orgasm out of Stiles.   
  
After Stiles came, both of them collapsed onto the bed. Derek nibbled and licked at Stiles’ neck, his hands wrapped around Stiles’ body.   
  
“I love you,” Stiles said. Derek smiled and replied, “I love you too.”   
  
“That was hot,” Erica said from somewhere in the house. Derek groaned and Stiles smirked.    
  
“Disgusting, you mean,” Scott cried.   
  
“Nope,” Danny and Lydia said in unison. “Hot.”   
  
“Just go to bed, you fuckers,” Derek roared. Ignoring the pack’s laughter (and Scott’s groans), Derek pulled Stiles closer and snuggled into him. Stiles kissed Derek and turned so they were spooning.   
  
Neither of them said anything about the chaos that was sure to come; they just held each other until they fell asleep.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The sun was peeking out of the horizon, burning the sky. Josh stood in the middle of the clearing, near the Alpha Table, watching the sun rise. Aden joined him.   
  
“It’s dawn,” Aden said unnecessarily. Josh glared at him out the corner of his eye. “Yes, I’m aware of that, Aden.”   
  
“What now?”   
  
“Now... we prepare. Get your pack ready.”   
  
Aden nodded and left. Josh went over to his pack and met up with his second in command, the woman with ruby red hair and loud clothes. This time, she was wearing a hot pink shirt and skintight black pants.    
  
“Felicia, how are the new members doing?”   
  
“Not too bad. Some of them have taken the bite well, but a few are still resisting it. Four dead so far.”   
  
Josh nodded. “Four isn’t too bad. Other than that, are we ready?”   
  
“Almost,” Felicia replied. She pulled out a hair tie from her pocket, pulled her hair back into a bun, and tied it up. “Ready now.”   
  
Josh smirked. “Good. I’ll go see if the others are.”   
  
Josh went over to where Boomer and Johnny were standing. Johnny’s pack had merged with Boomer’s for the time being.    
  
“Guys, you two ready?”   
  
“Yep,” Johnny replied. Boomer nodded.    
  
“Excellent.”   
  
Josh looked around for Zoe, and found her standing near the Alpha table. Josh, Johnny, and Boomer made their way to her.    
  
“I’m ready,” Zoe said as the others reached her. “Where’s Aden?”   
  
“He should be along shortly,” Josh replied. They waited for only a minute before Aden rejoined them.   
  
“Ready.”   
  
“Well, then,” Josh said, his eyes glowing bright orange, his mouth twisted into a mischievous grin. “Time to make this Council official.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“What?”   
  
“Stiles,” Dr. Deaton said, “You are the only person here, other than me, who can set a Mountain Ash barrier.”   
  
The pack, the Winchesters, the Sheriff, and Dr. Deaton were all at the Stilinski household, sitting on various surfaces and chairs in the living room and kitchen. Stiles, Derek, Dr. Deaton, and the Sheriff were sitting at the table in the kitchen.   
  
“Again, what? Why am I the only one, why can’t my Dad do it?”   
  
“It takes a special kind of person to be able to channel the Ash’s magic,” Dr. Deaton said, smiling his creepy-yet-reassuring smile.   
  
“Is this because of the mutant thing?”   
  
“No, this is something else entirely. I’ll explain it, but not now. What’s important now is, you need to _understand_ this.”   
  
“Uh, okay,” Stiles said, looking wildly at the three men who were looking at him. Derek was holding his hand under the table, and Stiles felt the need to squeeze. Derek gave him a small smile.   
  
“What does this thing do, exactly?”   
  
“It has several purposes, but what we want is simple; a barrier. Pour the Ash into a circle, and _believe_ in it. Once the circle is connected, no werewolf will be able to cross it. If they’re inside the circle, they will be trapped. If they’re outside, they won’t be able to get inside.   
  
“Werewolves, essentially, can’t touch the Ash.”   
  
“Dude, did you forget I’m a werewolf too? Not sure how I’m supposed to help.”   
  
Dr. Deaton smiled. “That rule doesn’t apply to you, Stiles.”    
  
“Why not?”   
  
“Because you are the type of person that this Ash responds to. That overrides anything and everything else, including the lycanthropy that lies within your DNA.”   
  
“Okay, I guess. Just pour it in a circle. Seems easy.”   
  
“You have to _believe_ in it as well, Stiles. You have to be the spark that lights the flame. It won’t work otherwise.”   
  
“Right,” Stiles said. “Dad, what about --”   
  
The Sheriff’s walkie-talkie squawked and a voice broke through, “Sheriff. Sheriff, come in.” The Sheriff grabbed it and pushed down a button. “Come in, Miller. Update?”   
  
“They’re on their way. I can see them running through the forest. So many of them. Most of them are headed for the school.”   
  
“Okay,” the Sheriff exhaled. “Call Dispatch, let them know, then get into position.”   
  
“Roger,” Miller said. The Sheriff put away the walkie-talkie and exhaled. Every single member of the pack was in the kitchen now, staring at the Sheriff, Derek, and Stiles.   
  
“Showtime,” the Sheriff said.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Stiles.”   
  
Stiles looked away from the road for a second and said, “Yeah?”   
  
The Sheriff sighed. “I need you to be careful. I don’t know what’s going to happen today, I don’t know... I just need you to be careful.”   
  
“Yeah, Dad,” Stiles nodded. “I know. I’ll be careful.”   
  
The Sheriff smiled then looked into the back seat and said, “You two be careful too. All of you.”   
  
“We will,” Scott and Boyd said in unison.    
  
“Hey, Dad, you need to be careful too. We can heal, but you can’t. Just... don’t put yourself in danger if you don’t have.”   
  
“Son,” the Sheriff replied with a smile, “I’m the Sheriff. I’m always been in danger, but I’ve always been fine. I’ll be fine. I’m more worried about you guys.”   
  
“We’ll be fine too,” Stiles replied. The Sheriff nodded and rested his head back against the headrest and stared at the road. The Camaro was in front of them, and the Porsche and the Impala was behind them. The Sheriff closed his eyes and a silent prayer hung at the tip of his tongue, a prayer for his son’s safety.   
  
The walkie-talkie went off and Dispatch’s voice broke through. “Sheriff? Come in, Sheriff. Come in.”   
  
“What’s wrong?”   
  
“Getting reports of werewolves at the hospital. They’ve broken through and began attacking.”   
  
“Oh my god, Mom,” Scott whispered. The Sheriff shook his head and held up a finger at Scott and replied, “They’ve moved away from the school?”   
  
“No, Miller reports they’re still waiting inside the woods. Looks like they’ve split into two groups.”   
  
“Shit,” the Sheriff cursed. He looked over at Stiles, who was already dialing Derek’s number. Scott scrambled over to the Sheriff and tried to speak but the Sheriff pushed his finger against Scott’s lips and gave him a glare that said, _Shut up. Not now._   
  
“Hold on, Dispatch.”   
  
“Derek, they’re attacking the hospital, but Dad says they’re also still at the school. What do we do?”   
  
“No choice. We split up.”   
  
“We’re going to the school,” the Sheriff said. “I need to be there.”   
  
“But, my Mom --” Scott shut up after another glare from the Sheriff.   
  
“Okay. I’ll call Jackson, call the Winchesters. They’re going with you.”   
  
Stiles hung up and immediately dialed Dean’s number as the Sheriff told Dispatch their plans, adding an order to send some of the officers over. While Stiles spoke to Dean, the Sheriff turned to Scott and said, “Your Mom’s not at the hospital. She’s at the school, we set up a small infirmary in the gym. She’s going to be there.”   
  
Scott slumped back against the seat and sighed in relief. “Thanks, Sheriff.”   
  
Derek turned right and headed toward the hospital. Stiles kept going down the road and Dean followed him after Jackson turned to follow Derek.   
  
“I don’t understand,” Boyd said, breaking the momentary silence that fell upon the Jeep. “Why aren’t they attacking the school? Why wait?”   
  
Stiles shrugged. “Beats me, but it’s a good thing. We need to be there.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Two of the Alphas were strutting through the hallway. Their eyes were a bright pink and a deep blue. Aden had a downright feral grin plastered on his face, but Zoe had a darkness in her eyes. Around them, their Betas were tearing apart the throats of the doctors and nurses that were running around and screaming.    
  
Behind Zoe walked the young twelve year old werewolf who was still Deaf. Zoe ducked into a room and Brandon followed her in. Aden kept walking, grinning and laughing. An elderly woman limped out of a room, saw Aden, promptly went back inside and shut the door. Aden kicked it in and the woman fell, sobbing.   
  
“Please, no,” she whimpered. The pinkness in Aden’s eyes went even hotter and he crouched over her.    
  
“Please, I haven’t done anything,” she cried.   
  
“Yes, you have. You exist,” he whispered. His claws came out and he grabbed her throat and tore it off. He smiled as he watched the life leave her eyes. He got up and licked the blood off his claws and strode out of the room.   
  
Zoe stared at the body that laid on the bed. Brandon was behind her, clutching at her shirt. She reached over and stroked his hair and smiled. She kept her eyes on the woman that was lying there.   
  
“So helpless,” Zoe whispered. “So useless. So... pathetic.”   
  
Her claws snaked out of her fingers and she cracked her fingers. The claws hovered over the woman’s throat. Zoe frowned and her eyebrows scrunched up in thought. Then, her forehead smoothed out and she smiled.   
  
“I should kill you, you piece of shit. But I think I’ll do you better. I’ll give you a taste of what you despite so much.”   
  
Instead of burying her claws into the woman’s throat, Zoe lifted the hospital gown up and bit down on her hip.   
  
Zoe grinned. “Come and find me when you wake up, Argent.”   
  
Zoe put her hand on Brandon’s back and guided him out of the room. She sniffed the air, searching for Aden, but then her wolf growled at the presence of another Alpha. She narrowed her eyes back at the entrance of the hospital and saw Derek Hale and several of his pack burst through. She growled. She made her way toward the Hale pack slowly as her Betas stood around them, growling.   
  
Brandon’s eyes glowed burnt orange as he walked gingerly behind Zoe. His eyes connected with one of the Hale Betas’ and he stopped suddenly and stared, mesmerized by his eyes.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles jumped out of his Jeep, closely followed by Scott and Boyd, then by the Sheriff. Stiles could smell the werewolves, hovering beyond the treeline. He growled and followed his father into the gym, where the officers were stationed at. The Winchesters, trailed by Lydia and Rodriguez, followed them in.  
  
Inside, they were met up with Miller, Chris, Melissa, and Dr. Deaton, who had left the Stilinski house a few minutes earlier than the pack. The Sheriff broke off from the group to go over the last-minute preparations with Miller. Melissa drew Scott in a hug and held him tightly, whispering into his ear.  
  
Chris stared at Stiles. Stiles returned the gaze then looked away, choosing to focus on his father instead.  
  
“Stiles,” Chris began. “I want to apologize. I... was upset. I shouldn’t have said those things. I know it’s not your fault. I’m sorry.”  
  
Stiles looked back at him, but said nothing. His head dipped lightly and he went back to his father. Chris sighed. He didn’t expect Stiles to warm up to him, but he had to say the words. He needed to mend their relationship as much as he could; they were on the same side after all.  
  
“Where are the bullets?” Dean asked. “I’ve got guns, but I need bullets.”  
  
Miller pointed the Winchesters at the direction of the wolfsbane bullets. Sam nodded and said, “Okay. Let’s go pick the guns up.”  
  
“I need a gun too,” Melissa said. Scott’s mouth dropped and he said, “What?”  
  
Melissa smiled. “I know you didn’t think I would just stand in the corner and do nothing.”  
  
“But, I thought you were going to help with injuries,” Scott said.  
  
“I will. I’m just going to kick some ass first. Besides, we have Deaton too. He can help with the injuries. And so can you, Scott.”  
  
“But, he’s just a vet, and I’m --”  
  
“Humans are animals as well,” Deaton said, smiling. Scott stared at him then at Melissa. Melissa just chuckled and repeated, “I need a gun.”  
  
“Well, my lady, please follow us,” Dean said. “We’ve got plenty.”  
  
Melissa followed the Winchesters to their Impala and her eyes went wide when they opened the trunk. “Oh my god, what the hell?”  
  
Dean shrugged. “We hunt a lot.”  
  
“That’s got to be the understatement of the century,” Melissa deadpanned. “What the hell is _that_ supposed to be?”  
  
Sam looked at what she was pointing at. “Uhh. Long story, not really worth getting into right now. Which one do you want?” Sam held up three different guns and Melissa studied them. She looked back into the trunk and spied another gun. “What about that one?”  
  
“Oh no no,” Dean said. “That’s off limits. That’s the Colt. It’ll kill almost anything. The only thing it doesn’t kill, as far as we know, are angels.”  
  
“Will it work on werewolves?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Well, that’s perfect then, isn’t it?”  
  
Dean grimaced. “We don’t have a lot of bullets for that one, and they’re pretty rare.”  
  
Melissa rolled her eyes. “Mr. Winchester, I’m sure you realize we’re outnumbered here. We’re all probably going to die, and then it wouldn’t make a fucking difference.”  
  
Dean blinked a few times. Sam smiled and said, “She’s got a point. That gun is pretty hardcore, though, since you’re new to this, you should prob--”  
  
“New? Excuse me. I know how to fire a gun. I’m not some rookie, I’ve done this before.”  
  
Dean and Sam raised their eyebrows. Melissa rolled her eyes again and slipped past them and picked up the Colt. She looked it over and said, “It’s very old.”  
  
“Yeah, well, Samuel Colt himself made it.”  
  
“Give me the bullets for it.”  
  
Sam picked up the box of bullets and handed it over to Melissa. “Be careful. When we say it kills anything, we mean it. Whatever it is, it’ll die instantly. Be careful at where you aim that thing.”  
  
“No problem,” Melissa said. The Winchesters picked up the rest of the guns, a couple machetes and slammed the trunk shut. The three of them made their way back into the gym. Just before Melissa entered, she stopped and stared off at the lacrosse field. It was still tapered off, but that didn’t stop Josh from cutting through the tape and walking toward them, his hands hidden behind his back.  
  
“One of them’s coming,” Melissa said. In a flash, the werewolves were outside staring at Josh, teeth bared. Stiles was practically vibrating out of his shoes. The Sheriff put a hand on his shoulder and said, “Calm down. I’ll talk to him.”  
  
“What? No, Dad,” Stiles replied, but the Sheriff shook his head. “I’m the Sheriff. This is my town. If he wants to talk, I’ll be the one that talks with him. Stay here.” The Sheriff left them and walked with confidence. He met Josh at the edge of the field, just beyond the gym building.  
  
“Well, it’s come down to this, Sheriff.”  
  
“What do you want?”  
  
“Out of the goodness in my heart, I wanted to give you one more chance to surrender. To accept us, to become werewolves and be a part of the future of Beacon Hills. We don’t want to kill you all if we don’t have to. We would like to avoid bloodshed.”  
  
“Oh? Exactly what do you guys call what your friends are doing over at the hospital?”  
  
“A favor. We’re giving the bite to the sick and the injured, so they can recover. So they can live again.”  
  
“What you’re doing is terrorizing them. I bet I’ll find some dead bodies out there, won’t I?”  
  
“Only if they resist,” Josh said with a smile.   
  
“Why are you doing this? All of this, it’s unnecessary.”  
  
“You know why, Sheriff. We need a home. This town is perfect for what we need.”  
  
“You must know that, even if you succeed today, hunters won’t leave you alone. They’ll come here, and they’ll kill you all.”  
  
“No, they won’t,” Josh scoffed. “Hunters work in small groups; they hate each other. In a town this big, with this many werewolves, they’d have no chance. The more we have, the better our chances at peace are.”  
  
“You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t believe that.”  
  
“Understandable,” Josh replied. “Well? Surrender or death?”  
  
“We’ll never surrender. We’ll always fight for our homes. You guys may be werewolves, but we have guns.”  
  
Josh’s smile broke out into a grin. “I don’t understand why you people are so stupid. We may be werewolves, but we live in the same world you guys do. We’re perfectly aware guns exist. Just because we have claws doesn’t mean we don’t use guns.”  
  
Josh’s grin got even bigger as he drew out a gun from behind his back and aimed it at the Sheriff’s head. Josh watched the Sheriff’s eyes slowly widen until a sea of white surrounded his blue eyes. He could hear the gasp that came from Stiles’ mouth.   
  
He heard Stiles yell out in horror, _Dad_.  
  
He pulled the trigger.


	16. This is War

# Chapter Fifteen

  
Derek growled and took a step toward Zoe, extending his claws. Isaac stood next to him, watching six of Zoe’s Betas surround them. Jackson and Erica were standing on Derek’s other side, both of them vibrating, just a breath away from bouncing around the room (with their claws extended). Finstock stood behind the first four, his colorful eyes glowing brightly, staring at the dead bodies that laid across the lobby.   
  
And then, there was Danny.    
  
Danny stood frozen. He was trapped. The boy’s burnt orange eyes had met his. His wolf growled and said, _protect_. Danny stared.   
  
“Derek Hale,” Zoe growled. Aden came running from behind and scrambled to a stop next to Zoe and snarled.    
  
“That’s all? Just one Alpha and... five Betas?” Zoe laughed. “You really are fools. You must have known coming here was suicide. Why would --”   
  
Danny exploded off his feet and blew past Derek, shoved Aden out of the way and ran past him and Zoe, to Brandon. He swept him up into his arms and Brandon clutched onto him tightly, and they ran down the hallway, away from everyone.   
  
“BRANDON!” Zoe screamed and took off after Danny. Derek tried to chase Zoe but Aden ran him down and slammed him against the wall. The Alphas’ betas attacked the rest of the Hales, apart from Jackson who had bolted away from them and went after Danny and Zoe. Finstock was taking on two werewolves at once and his karate lessons had obviously paid off. He was parrying off their slashes and knocked one out with a well-timed kick.    
  
A werewolf was on top of Isaac, trying to reach his throat with his teeth. Erica kicked his head and heard the bones in his neck snap. Isaac pushed the man off him and shouted, “Erica! Watch out!”   
  
Erica flew through the glass doors, crashing and rolling on the concrete outside. The werewolf that threw her through the door followed her out and jumped. She sprang up and landed on her feet and dodged the werewolf, running away as he chased her.   
  
Isaac slammed into the werewolf that was scratching Finstock’s back and pulled Finstock up. Another two werewolves were charging at them, screaming and flailing their claws around. Finstock and Isaac was able to subdue them with a single kick.   
  
As the werewolf that charged Isaac withered on the ground, Isaac crouched and slashed her throat open. He looked up at Finstock, who only looked at him with concerned eyes, and did the same for the second werewolf.    
  
Finstock didn’t say anything, but Isaac could tell he was disturbed by what Isaac had just done. Isaac got up, staring at the other werewolf that was just now picking himself off the floor.    
  
“I once asked my brother if he ever killed anyone,” Isaac said. “And he said, ‘Yes.’ I asked him, was it awesome? He gave me this haunted look and he said, ‘No, it wasn’t awesome. It’s war. You kill, or you get killed.’”   
  
The werewolf snarled.   
  
“Then he said, ‘I had a friend who let someone live. Five minutes later, that man killed him. Kill, or be killed. That’s war.’”   
  
Finstock gaped at him.   
  
“This is a war, Coach.”   
  
The werewolf and Isaac attacked simultaneously. The werewolf sank his claws into Isaac’s arm and raked across and Isaac howled in pain. Finstock scrambled forward and kicked the werewolf’s stomach, and together, they held him down.   
  
This time, it was Finstock who tore his throat out.   
  
Erica came back inside, panting and her hands drenched with blood. She found Derek fighting with Aden and ran to help him. She jumped on Aden’s back and distracted him long enough for Derek to land a hard right in Aden’s chest.    
  
“Go!” Derek said, as Aden clutched his chest and crumbled onto the floor. “Help Jackson and Danny! I’ll be there as quickly as I can.”   
  
Finstock and Erica ran immediately, but Isaac lingered.    
  
“Go!”   
  
“No,” Isaac replied. “I’m not leaving you alone. There’s more of them around.”   
  
Aden was back on his feet, growling. His pink eyes glowed and he ran. Derek met him and they sparred before Aden flipped Derek on the ground and slashed his back. Isaac attacked but Aden simply tossed him at a wall. Isaac was able to recover quickly but got caught up in a fight with two Betas who had just emerged out of the hallway.    
  
Aden picked Derek up and slammed him against the wall. He grinned and snapped his teeth at Derek, saying, “I thought you would be stronger than this. The other Alphas were so afraid of you and your little bitch, but you’re just a joke.” Aden flexed his claws dramatically and said, “Goodbye, Mr. Hale.”   
  
Derek’s eyes suddenly burst red and he felt his chest clench. Energy shot through Derek and he pushed Aden off him, switched positions, and slammed him against the wall. Aden’s head cracked the wall and Derek roared into his face. Aden kneed Derek’s hip and Derek stumbled a bit but Aden couldn’t break free of his grip. Derek growled and his eyes were a deep shade of crimson, almost blood-red. Aden widened his eyes and tried to push Derek off.   
  
Derek stepped back, but not because of Aden. Derek clenched his hands into fists and started pounding away at Aden’s stomach, his growls getting louder with every punch. Aden finally managed to shove Derek away and collapsed onto his knees holding his stomach, blood dripping down the corner of his mouths. He looked up at Derek, who had bounced back and was inches away from him, and whimpered.   
  
Derek wrapped his arm around Aden’s head, claws digging deep into his neck. He howled and and tore the head away from the shoulders. He tossed the head aside, dropped to his knees, and his howl turned into a scream.    
  
Isaac stopped, and so did the other two werewolves. The howl that rumbled out of Derek was full of pain and anger, far too much.   
  
“Derek?” Isaac whispered.   
  
Derek cut off his scream and fell onto his hands, panting heavily. His eyes still shone crimson.    
  
“Stiles. It’s Stiles.”   
  
“What?”   
  
“He’s so angry.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
It was the longest three seconds of Stiles’ life.   
  
Stiles heard the trigger click. He saw the flash as the bullet exited the gun. He watched the Sheriff’s head snap back, the bullet exiting the back of his head, trailed by several globs of blood. He watched his father’s body lean backwards before falling down, the body slamming against the grass, his head bouncing.   
  
Stiles heard the last breath his father would ever take exit his body. He saw every inch of his body stop moving. He heard the sudden stop in his heartbeat.   
  
He saw, heard, and felt his father _cease_. He stared at the body.   
  
He heard Melissa and Lydia’s screams, Matt and the Winchesters’ angry curses, and he felt Scott pushing at him, trying to herd him into the building, but he didn’t register any of them.   
  
The only thing he understood was that his father was lying in the grass, dead. He felt like his chest had emptied into a bottomless pit; like something had been torn away from him, something he could never get back.   
  
Scott was now dragging Stiles by his arm, trying to snap him out of his daze.   
  
Stiles’s eyes crept up from his father’s body to the barrel of the gun that put him down. He looked beyond the barrel, to the ugly grin on the face belonging to his father’s murderer. He looked into the embers of Josh’s eyes.   
  
The bottomless pit in his chest quickly filled up.    
  
With anger.   
  
Ultraviolet shoved brown aside and Stiles’ fangs grew in. He shook Scott off him and ran. As he ran, he screamed and shifted. His legs and nose was the first to change. He dropped on all fours and when the change hit his throat, the scream became a howl.    
  
“Stiles!” Scott screamed to no avail.   
  
Completely a wolf now, Stiles tore after Josh. Scott and Lydia scrambled behind him, ignoring Melissa and the Winchesters’ shouts. Boyd and Matt brought up the rear and the Betas shifted, chasing after Stiles who was pulling away. They created an impromptu Flying V formation.    
  
“Scott!” Melissa screamed. She tried to run, but Sam grabbed her and pulled her back. “No, you stay. We’ll go,” Sam said as he looked at Dean and they both nodded. Melissa could only watch as the Winchesters pulled out their guns and followed the werewolves, leaving Melissa alone with Dr. Deaton and Miller.   
  
Josh snarled and more werewolves emerged from the treeline, running to meet the Hales, including Johnny and Boomer, who were walking slowly.   
  
“Oh my god,” Melissa whispered. Dr. Deaton frowned and stared at Stiles. Miller shook out of his daze and said, “Come on, guys. We need to help them. They’re outnumbered.”   
  
Miller ran inside the building and shouted out commands. Officers split up, and most went outside but some went up onto the second floor and broke the windows facing the lacrosse field. Dr. Deaton opened the door and motioned for Melissa to enter first, but Melissa wasn’t moving. She was watching her son run into battle.    
  
She couldn’t let him do it alone.   
  
She ran.   
  
“Melissa! Come back!”   
  
Melissa’s grip grew tight around the Colt.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The two Betas that were fighting Isaac were now backing off. They knew they had no chance of surviving a fight against Derek. Isaac made his way over to where Derek was and helped him to his feet.  
  
“Something’s wrong,” Derek growled, his eyes still red. “Stiles... He’s just so angry. I need to go to him.”  
  
“Derek,” Isaac tried. “We’re a little busy here. That Alpha is chasing Danny and Jackson, they need our help. Come on, Derek.” Derek nodded and then ran down the hallway, sniffing the air. Isaac was close behind.  
  
“What’s wrong, Stiles?” Derek muttered, and Isaac frowned. They kept running, pausing slightly only when they heard sirens approaching; several patrol cars. Derek let out a mental sigh, _We have help now._   
  
The first gunshots sounded and the dying scream of a werewolf hit Derek and Isaac’s ears. They marched on.  
  
They found Erica and Finstock just as they were finishing up a fight of their own. Erica had two cuts on her cheek, but it was already healing up. Finstock was panting heavily, leaning against the wall.  
  
“What was that all about?” Erica asked. “That scream?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Derek replied. “Something’s wrong with Stiles. He’s pissed off, and I don’t know why.”  
  
“Let’s just finish up here,” Isaac said, “so we can go help Stiles. Where’s she?”  
  
Erica pointed to the door Jackson had disappeared into. “Jackson followed her into there. I guess Danny went there too. What the hell is he doing?”  
  
“Does it matter?” Finstock asked. Erica frowned and Derek said, “No, it doesn’t. Let’s go.”  
  
Finstock opened the door and the four of them went through it. The room they found themselves in was occupied by a single werewolf.  
  
The werewolf spoke. “You three can go,” he said, motioning to the door behind him. “You, however, stay.”  
  
“Like hell,” Erica growled.  
  
The man growled and said, “I already lost Camden. If I’m going to lose you too, Isaac, I’ll do it myself,” and his claws extended.  
  
“Who the fuck is this guy?” Erica asked.  
  
“My father,” Isaac replied softly. “Go on ahead, guys. Help them. I’ll deal with him.”  
  
Derek growled and glared at Mr. Lahey as he walked past him and exited the room. Finstock followed him closely, but Erica didn’t.  
  
“Erica, get out of here,” Isaac said.  
  
“No way. I’m not leaving you alone with your psycho dad.”  
  
“What the fuck did you just say?” Mr. Lahey growled. Erica narrowed her eyes and said, “You heard me.”  
  
The two Betas that fought Isaac in the lobby burst into the room and Mr. Lahey snarled and leapt for Erica. Isaac pushed Erica out of the way and Mr. Lahey crashed into his son, both of them slamming against a wall. Erica got up and hissed at the two Betas.  
  
“You betrayed me,” Mr. Lahey said, Isaac’s shirt trapped in Mr. Lahey’s fists. “I’m going to give you one last chance. Come back to me, or this time, I’ll make sure you stay in that freezer forever.”  
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Danny stood on one end of the hospital room, Zoe on the other. Brandon was standing behind Danny, his hands buried into the back of his shirt. He was stealing glances at Zoe.   
  
“What the fuck are you doing?”   
  
Danny didn’t answer her; he only herded Brandon closer to himself.   
  
“Why did you take him?”   
  
Danny took another step back and Brandon stumbled, but Danny’s grip on him kept him straight.   
  
A deep shade of blue, almost black, appeared over Zoe’s eyes. She snarled and her fangs were prominent. Danny watched her claws creep out of her fingers.    
  
“Let go of him. _Now_.”   
  
Danny responded by showing emerging his wildfire green eyes and Brandon’s burnt orange appeared practically simultaneously. Zoe growled and took a few steps toward them.   
  
Jackson burst through the door and stared at Zoe, panting.    
  
“Leave them alone,” Jackson demanded. Zoe growled again and, ignoring Jackson, continued toward Danny and Brandon. Jackson ran to intercept Zoe, but she beat him to it. She turned around and slammed a fist in the middle of Jackson’s chest, and Danny could _hear_ the wind being forced out of Jackson’s lungs. He saw Jackson linger in the air for a second before he went flying backwards, cratering the wall as he crashed against it.   
  
Zoe hissed at Danny and stalked him. Danny had to guide Brandon around the room to avoid Zoe.    
  
“You’re a fool,” Zoe said. “I turned him. I wasn’t going to hurt him. I was going to raise him like my own. But now? I can see that he’s interested in you. And you’re going to have to die, which will hurt him. Maybe I’ll kill him too... and I’ll make you watch.”   
  
Zoe jumped and Danny only had time to push Brandon out of the way before Zoe slammed into him and they both disappeared over a desk, smashing the computer that rested on top of it. Danny hit the ground on his side and grunted. Zoe sprawled a few feet away but rolled onto all fours, growling. Danny shook his head and blinked just in time to see Zoe swing her claws down onto Danny.   
  
Jackson had been slowly peeling himself off the ground as his cracked ribs healed, but he jerked up as soon as he heard Danny’s scream. He looked over at the direction of the scream and found Zoe holding Danny up by his throat. She had her claws buried into Danny’s stomach. Brandon was cowering near a chair, crying.   
  
Jackson pushed away the chair that was in front of him and screamed at Zoe. Zoe snapped her head at Jackson and smirked. Jackson’s baby blue eyes glowed as his legs propelled forward, his claws extended. Zoe pursed her lips and tossed Danny back where he tumbled over a table and crashed onto the floor.   
  
Zoe was distracted, frowning as Brandon ran after Danny, his cries getting louder. The distraction was all Jackson needed to slam Zoe against the wall, tearing through her stomach. Zoe growled again and punched Jackson before kneeing him in the balls and kicking him in the chest as he bowed over in pain.   
  
“You fucking fool,” Zoe spat out. “You’re just a Beta, and I’m an Alpha. Do you really think you can win?”   
  
Jackson looked up at her from the ground and said, “I don’t care if I win or not, you’re not going to hurt my best friend.”   
  
Zoe cocked her head and said, “I think I already have. Did you not notice the blood on my fingers?” She waved her claws around, proving her case.   
  
Jackson swallowed. He spun his leg around, knocking Zoe’s legs out and sending her down to the ground. Jackson got up and screamed, “Danny! Come on, we got to go!”   
  
Danny was already climbing the table, pulling himself up. Brandon was next to him, yanking at his arm.   
  
“Stop that,” Danny muttered. “Come on,” he said, dragging Brandon over to where Jackson was. Jackson turned to the door but found it blocked by Zoe.   
  
“Really? You try running after sweeping me off my legs,” Zoe scoffed. “You didn’t even _try_ to cripple me. What kind of an idiot are you? Pathetic.”   
  
“Run,” Jackson said and he ducked his head and shot forward, slamming his shoulder into Zoe’s stomach. Zoe let out a loud grunt as the doors behind her flopped open as she fell through them, Jackson still on top of her.    
  
“Jackson!”   
  
_“Go,”_ Jackson demanded as he scrambled over Zoe, trying to pin her down. Danny obeyed and picked Brandon up and leapt over them both and tore down the hallway. A second or two later, Jackson’s body made yet another crater in the wall and Zoe was back on her feet, growling.   
  
“You’re all alone,” Zoe sneered. “Who’s going to protect you now?”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles was in control. His anger prompted the wolf to take over, but Stiles was still in control. He _let_ the wolf take over. He didn’t want to face the harsh reality. He didn’t want to think about it, even as he neared the body.   
  
He jumped over the still body of his father and landed on the grass, galloping after the retreating Alpha. Josh had tossed his gun aside and he was trying to disappear into the safety of his pack.   
  
Stiles wouldn’t let him.   
  
Josh slipped past one of his Betas and he went for Stiles. A second later, he was lying on the ground, unconscious. Josh never saw what happened to him. Stiles was still right behind him. By now, however, Josh was among several of his Betas and so, he stopped and turned to face Stiles.    
  
Two of the Betas stepped in front of Josh and bared their teeth and claws. Stiles blew past them both, raking their throats with his claws. They dropped and withered in the grass, their lives disappearing quickly. Josh shifted into his Alpha form and snarled, his bright orange eyes sparkling. Stiles jumped and Josh braced for impact.    
  
They slammed against each other and disappeared into the throng of werewolves behind them. Scott could hear flesh tearing and screams, but none of them belonged to Stiles. At least, he hoped. The Betas nearest to them spun around and growled. Scott growled louder and tangled up with one as Lydia leapt and took down a female, tearing her throat out immediately. A beta picked Lydia up and threw her back, but Matt caught her.   
  
“Thanks, Matt,” Lydia murmured.   
  
“Don’t mention it. Let’s go save Stiles’ ass.”   
  
Lydia smirked as Matt followed Boyd into the fight. Lydia closed her eyes and exhaled. Her eyes snapped open and her eyes were glowing honey brown and her face twisted.   
  
_You fucked with the wrong pack,_ Lydia thought. She let out a roar and joined in the fray.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“No, don’t you dare tell me to go back,” Melissa snapped. Sam frowned but placed his hand on Dean’s shoulder, cutting his protests off. “My son is in there, I’m not going to let him do this alone.”   
  
She pulled out the Colt and aimed it at the crowd.   
  
“Hold on,” Dean said. “Be careful. Don’t shoot that in the middle of everything - you could hit one of ours. That gun is too dangerous. Shoot the ones that aren’t surrounded by our people. We’ll take care of the ones near Scott and everyone else.”   
  
Melissa nodded and adjusted her aim. She squeezed the trigger. One of the werewolves that were charging the officers suddenly stopped. His body jerked and his skeleton flashed through his skin a couple of times before he collapsed, dead.   
  
“Whoa,” Melissa said. She narrowed her eyes and cocked the hammer, scanning the crowd for her next target.   
  
“I think she’s got things covered,” Sam said. “Hey! Miller!”   
  
“What?”   
  
“Get some of your men around her; protect her.”   
  
“Yeah, okay,” Miller replied, pointing at a few of his men. Chris Argent was standing behind the line of officers, looking conflicted. Miller pointed at Melissa and three of his men made their way over to her and surrounded her, ignoring her exasperated look.    
  
“I’m fine, I don’t --”   
  
“Not up for debate,” Dean dismissed. “Guys! Be careful where you aim those things. Don’t shoot our werewolves. And obviously, don’t shoot us.”   
  
Dean whipped out his machete with his right hand and pulled out his gun with his left hand. “Let’s go,” he said as Sam did the same. They both ran toward the werewolves. Miller nodded and barked out more orders. Then, he pulled out his walkie-talkie and shouted out more orders. The windows on the second floor of the wall facing the fight broke, and guns peeked out.   
  
“Guys,” Chris said. Miller paused and looked at him. “Aim for the Alphas,” Chris said, staring at Boomer and Johnny, who were moving slowly, beyond most of the fight. “We take them down, then the rest should go down much easier.”   
  
Miller nodded and said, “You guys got that?” His officers nodded in response.   
  
“Well, then,” Miller said. “Fire at will!”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Isaac burst through the wall and crashed against a hospital bed, groaning. Erica jumped through the hole and helped Isaac up.   
  
“You okay?”   
  
“No,” Isaac whimpered. “It’s just... even now, I can’t get away from him.”   
  
Erica could feel Isaac shaking. She growled. “Isaac, snap out of it. You can do this. You have to. Come on.” Isaac gulped and nodded.   
  
Isaac’s resolve disappeared the second his father’s head appeared. He climbed into the room and grinned. “Still an useless piece of shit,” Mr. Lahey insulted. “Even as a werewolf, you’re pathetic as usual.”   
  
The two Betas followed Mr. Lahey into the room, grinning. Erica felt Isaac withdrawing into her arms and she growled. “Okay, Isaac, you get the other two. I’ll handle your father.”   
  
“What? No, Erica --”   
  
“Please, bitch, you can’t handle anything,” Mr. Lahey scoffed. Erica narrowed her eyes. “Isaac, don’t argue. We don’t have the time for this. If you can’t fight your dad, I will. Take care of the other two.”   
  
Erica let go of Isaac and he stumbled backwards and gaped at Erica as she ran at Mr. Lahey, hissing.    
  
“Erica!”   
  
Erica landed a punch on Mr. Lahey, but was immediately ganged up by the two Betas. Isaac growled and shot forward and hit one of the Betas, sending him sprawling on the ground. Erica slashed Mr. Lahey’s chest then was tackled by the other Beta. Isaac kicked the Beta, giving Erica the window she needed to take control of their fight, and turned to face his father. He swallowed.   
  
“I’m not afraid of you anymore,” Isaac whispered.   
  
“Oh, it’s so nice being able to tell when you’re lying now,” Mr. Lahey smirked. Isaac straightened up. He looked at Erica, who was tangled up with the other Beta. He looked at the Beta behind Mr. Lahey that had just gotten back up. He looked back at Mr. Lahey.   
  
“No, Dad,” Isaac said firmly. He looked at Erica again. “I’ve got friends now. I’ve only known them for a day now, true... but, they’ve done more for me than you have in a long time. I’m not afraid of you anymore."   
  
Mr. Lahey’s smirk faded as he listened to Isaac’s heartbeat. It never wavered.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Panting heavily, Danny held tightly onto Brandon’s hand, half dragging him through the hallway.   
  
“Come on, we need to get out of here, I need to --”   
  
A door burst open on Danny’s left and a Beta emerged. He snarled and shoved Danny backwards, and he lost his grip on Brandon’s hand. Brandon stood there, frozen, looking at Danny then at the Beta, who was one of Zoe’s.    
  
“Why aren’t you with Zoe?” The Beta grumbled. Brandon stared at him. “Right, forgot, you’re deaf,” the Beta said, as he rolled his eyes. Then, he narrowed his eyes at Danny. “What are you doing with him?”   
  
“Get away from him,” Danny snarled. He was now crouching, ready to spring. His eyes shone green. “Get the fuck away from him,” he repeated.   
  
“Fuck you,” the Beta replied. “Brandon belongs to Zoe.”    
  
The Beta grabbed Brandon’s arm and pulled him behind, but Brandon resisted. He slapped at the hand that held him repeatedly and the Beta looked at Brandon. “Stop that, you dumbass,” he growled.   
  
Danny sprang.   
  
The Beta let out a loud _oof_ as Danny hit his chest, slamming him against the ground. He sank his teeth into the Beta’s throat and he tore it out. He spat out the flesh and wiped away the blood that dribbled down his chin, keeping his eyes on the Beta until it died.   
  
“So, you’re deaf? That explains it,” Danny said, getting up. Brandon was staring at the Beta. Danny sighed and pulled Brandon away from the body and checked him over, finding no injuries. “Looks like you’re oka--”   
  
A loud crash boomed in a nearby room.    
  
“Fuck. Come on, we need to keep going.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
A fist connected with Jackson’s stomach and he bowled over, coughing up blood. Zoe pulled him up by his shirt and laughed. She shoved him and he fell onto the floor, breathing hard. Blood streaked down his face, and he was trying his best to repair the cut on his head.   
  
Zoe was making it difficult.   
  
“Give me more of a fight,” Zoe begged as a single scrape on her cheek healed. “You were plenty feisty when your friend was here. Should I find him? Will that make you fight harder?”   
  
Jackson growled as loudly as he could, which wasn’t very loud. Zoe laughed. Then, the doors burst open and one broke off its hinges, falling flat on the floor. Zoe snapped her head at the door and glared. Finstock and Zoe came through and Derek stared at Jackson for a second before snarling and jumping for Zoe.    
  
Derek hit Zoe and they slashed their claws at each other, trading punches and cuts. Finstock grabbed Jackson and dragged him out of the room, propping him up against the wall.    
  
“Whittemore, you hurt?” Finstock deadpanned.   
  
“Funny, Coach. Really funny,” Jackson grumbled. Finstock smirked and said, “You’re gonna be okay.”   
  
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I can feel it working already,” Jackson said, his head tingling. “Go help Derek.” Finstock nodded and went back in the room. Jackson sighed and rested his head against the wall. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, then woke up at a sound. Deep in the hallway, two Betas appeared, growling.   
  
“Fuck me,” Jackson muttered. He pulled himself up and waited as they approached.   
  
Back in the room, Derek was lying on his back, Zoe on top of him. Zoe’s teeth were inches away from his face, and she was snarling. Finstock grabbed her from behind and tossed her away, but she rebounded off the wall and slashed Finstock’s stomach. Derek got up and slammed Zoe face-first against the wall, Zoe snarled and pushed off the wall and slipped away from Derek.    
  
Finstock, with his hand covering his chest, circled Zoe. She was trapped between him and Derek. Slowly, they inched toward her until Finstock finally lurched. Derek shot in almost immediately, but Zoe reacted faster. She grabbed Finstock and spun them around so Derek buried his claws into Finstock.   
  
Finstock howled in pain and Derek pulled back and growled, catching Finstock as Zoe dropped him. Derek saw her leg swinging toward him so he dropped Finstock and jumped back, his face just barely missing Zoe’s shoe. Finstock hit the ground and groaned. Zoe kicked him then stepped over him, grinning.   
  
Derek growled, his crimson gaze meeting Zoe’s eyes.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
A werewolf went flying through the air and slammed against a tree in the distance and Stiles howled. His mouth was dripping with blood, his body covered with wounds that were repairing. Stiles grabbed the leg of a nearby werewolf and pulled, swinging him and connecting with two werewolves. The trio fell back but were quickly overtaken by more werewolves. Josh was beyond them.  
  
“Stiles! Calm down, Stiles!”  
  
Stiles spun around, staring at Scott.   
  
“Stiles! We need you to stay in control,” Scott begged.  
  
Stiles snarled and cocked his head, a very human thing. Scott realized that Stiles was in charge.   
  
“Stiles, we need to regroup,” Lydia said. “Stick to the plan.”  
  
Stiles growled, looking back at the werewolf wall in front of him. None of them were brave enough to attack Stiles. They did, however, pull closer as Stiles stepped toward them. They refused to open a hole for him.  
  
It would be pointless to go after Josh like this, Stiles knew. Too long, too hard. Stiles huffed and turned back, trotting toward where most of the pack were fighting at. Scott, Lydia, Boyd, and Melissa (and two of the officers, the third died) were there, Matt was with the Winchesters some distance away.   
  
As soon as Stiles got to Scott, most of the Betas dispersed. The two that were foolish enough to stay were quickly killed. Melissa stared at Stiles as he wiped the blood off his claws on the grass, growling. The coldness in his eyes scared her.   
  
Stiles heard a scream from where Matt was, and he watched Dean collapse. Stiles jerked up and ran toward Dean and sniffed at him when he got there. A werewolf holding a gun near the Winchesters received a wolfsbane bullet in the head courtesy of one of the snipers from inside the building. Dean had a bullet wound near his heart and Stiles watched the alertness in his eyes fade. His mouth distorted and he seemed like he was trying to say something.   
  
C-- C-- Ca--  
  
His breathing stopped. Stiles growled.  
  
“He’ll be back in three minutes,” Sam said, calmly slashing his machete through a werewolf’s arm. A werewolf was kneeling on Matt’s back, pinning him to the grass. Stiles jumped over Dean and killed the werewolf. Three more stormed in and attacked Stiles. One wrapped himself around Stiles’ rear legs, another one bit his flank, and the third one slashed deeply into Stiles’ belly.  
  
Sam cut through the neck of the nearest werewolf, releasing Stiles’ legs from their prison. He used his legs to push forward, freeing himself from the werewolf that latched onto his flank. He slashed at the third werewolf, who was backing off. Stiles abandoned his pursuit of that werewolf and turned to the second one, tackling him into the ground and biting through his neck.   
  
The rest of the pack joined them and they braced themselves against the incoming assault. The enemy werewolves were gathering, the Alphas behind them, orders flying out of their mouths. The only injury on any of them was a quickly healing bullet wound in Johnny's arm.   
  
The first wave attacked. Melissa hung back, shooting the werewolves that came too close to her. She even shot one that was inches away from tearing her son’s throat out, and Scott sent her a thankful grin. Matt hovered around Lydia and they protected each other, using their teamwork to fight off the claws slashing at them. Boyd was next to Stiles and they were each dueling two Betas at the same time.  
  
“Come on, Dean, help us already!”  
  
When Dean didn’t answer, Sam glanced backwards in between hacking his machete at the werewolves. He killed one then stepped back to look at Dean.  
  
It had been more than five minutes.  
  
Dean was still dead.


	17. Death and Pain

# Chapter Sixteen

  
“Come on, Sam! We need to go!”   
  
Sam ignored Melissa and, instead, hacked off the hand of the werewolf that was attacking him. Another werewolf’s claws grazed his back, splitting his clothes open and drawing a little blood. Sam grunted and fell to his knees. The werewolf raised his claws and then a gunshot rang. The werewolf’s skeleton pulsed and he collapsed over Sam.    
  
“Sam, it’s been ten minutes. I’m sorry, but Dean’s not coming back,” Lydia said. She was standing back-to-back with Matt and Boyd, the three of them surrounded. “We need to pull back, there’s too many of them.”   
  
“You’re not going anywhere,” a werewolf sneered. She lurched forward and Melissa dropped her with another gunshot.    
  
“No,” Sam said, shrugging off the dead werewolf. “Dean will come back. He always has.”   
  
“Fine,” Melissa said. “He’s coming back. Until then, we need to stay alive. We need to retreat.”   
  
Stiles turned to Sam and bared his teeth, growling softly. Sam narrowed his eyes at him, but gave in. Sighing, Sam sheathed his machete and picked Dean up and propped him over his shoulder.   
  
“To the gym, guys!” Matt shouted. Stiles broke through the circle that cut Lydia, Matt, and Boyd from the rest, and tore apart two werewolves before the rest retreated. The werewolves gathered around Melissa, Sam, and the one remaining officer that was assigned to Melissa, and they quickly made their way over to the gym.    
  
Most of the other officers had already retreated to the gym, including Dr. Deaton and Chris Argent. There were a few that were still outside and they were firing bullets at the werewolves, giving the Hales cover. The officer standing by the doors opened it as Sam carried Dean inside, followed by Boyd, Lydia, Scott, then Matt. Stiles paused to look back at the incoming crowd of werewolves. He narrowed his eyes before disappearing inside the building, the other officers streaming inside after him. After the last one went in, the doors slammed shut.    
  
The werewolves could hear the humans drag and push obstacles in front of the door. One of them smirked and shouted back to the Alphas, “Orders?”   
  
Josh, Boomer, and Johnny stood at the edge of the field, watching their packmates gather in front of the gym. Most of them turned to the Alphas and eagerly awaited their orders.   
  
“This is probably actually a good time to take care of the rest of the town,” Josh said. “We know where the Hales are. We can go where they’re not and meet no resistance.”   
  
“I don’t like that idea,” Boomer objected.   
  
“However,” Josh continued, “there is only one of the Hale Alphas here. It would be wise to take him out now before he’s reunited with the other one.”   
  
“So, why didn’t you attack him?” Johnny asked. Josh glared at him and replied, “Like you said, he’s not a normal Alpha. I wasn’t going to take him on alone.”   
  
Johnny nodded. “Right. Now what, then?”   
  
“We’re going in,” Josh said. “One of us should stay out here, though. To monitor everything.”   
  
“You’re staying,” Boomer said, looking at Johnny. “I’ll go. I’ll take care of them.” Johnny looked at Boomer in confusion, but nodded. “Okay.”   
  
“Felicia! Let’s go!” Josh shouted as he strode across the concrete. The red-haired woman bounced over to him, and they started talking, pointing at the building and at the werewolves.   
  
Johnny grabbed Boomer’s arm, stopping him, and said, “What was that about?”   
  
Boomer shrugged. “No need for you to deal with them again. I’ll take care of them.” Johnny smiled and said, “I don’t need you to fight my battles.”   
  
“Maybe not,” Boomer replied. “You’ve got me, anyway,” he said and walked away, hiding the small smirk that peeked out of the corner of his mouth. Johnny stared at his retreating form, his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.    
  
Johnny watched Boomer join Jasmine and several of his Betas. He watched Josh and Boomer meet in front of the doors and discuss some last-minute plans. He saw Boomer look at him just before he kicked in the doors. He watched them and most of the werewolves rush inside.    
  
Johnny smiled. Despite losing his pack, he was in a good place. He had Boomer. He was about to have a home. A town of their own.   
  
Things were looking up.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Isaac cowered behind a desk, hiding from the various objects Mr. Lahey was tossing his way. He heard a chair crash against the wall and hit the ground with a dull thud, maybe a foot away.    
  
“Still such a goddamned pussy,” Mr. Lahey shouted. “Come out! Face me like a man!”   
  
“Go,” Erica said, lying in front of Isaac. “Arm’s better. Go.”   
  
“No, Erica,” Isaac protested. “Not without you.”   
  
Isaac's teeth ground against each other as he heard the bones in Erica’s arm and left leg snap back into position. Erica flexed both limbs, then withdrew into a fetal position as a computer burst apart as it slammed against the wall. After the sparks disappeared, Isaac checked on Erica, who was fully mobile again.   
  
“Come on,” sneered one of the other two Betas. The other one cackled and jumped on the desk. Isaac snapped his head toward the Beta and roared. He grabbed the edge of the desk and flipped it, and the Beta riding was thrown back. Isaac could hear the snap of his spine as he landed on the back of a chair awkwardly.   
  
The other Beta and Mr. Lahey looked over to the Beta, who was now gasping on the floor, unable to move. Erica stormed across the room and landed a fist in the other Beta’s stomach, slashed his left cheek, and kicked him backwards. Mr. Lahey snarled and reached for Erica’s hair, but Isaac grabbed his arm with one hand, his back with the other one, and slammed his knee against Mr. Lahey’s chest.    
  
The other Beta hissed and fought back, punching Erica twice before Erica was able to dodge the third. Erica landed a vicious uppercut that lifted the Beta a few inches off his feet. He hit the floor hard.    
  
Isaac slammed his elbow against the back of Mr. Lahey’s head, dropping him onto the floor, and raked his claws deep into his father’s back. Mr. Lahey screamed in pain, but then he grabbed Isaac’s ankle and yanked; knocking him off balance and pulling him onto the floor. Mr. Lahey kicked Isaac’s face and blood spilled out of his nose immediately.    
  
Involuntary tears filled Isaac’s eyes, clouding his vision. Mr. Lahey got up and grabbed Isaac, tossing him across the room. Isaac hit the wall behind the second Beta, breaking off pieces of the drywall. The Beta shrugged off the distraction and stared down Erica. Mr. Lahey was also rounding on Erica, and she had to watch both men carefully.   
  
Isaac used a table as support to get back on his feet, wincing as his nose finally mended itself. The blood flow stopped, but his shirt was already drenched. He wiped the excess blood from his mouth and leapt over the table, landing just behind the other Beta. He tried to turn around, but Isaac had already dug his claws into his throat. The Beta ended up tearing his own throat out.    
  
Mr. Lahey froze. Erica breathed out a sigh of relief as Isaac kept his eyes on his father as he sidestepped to the Beta with the broken back. He glanced down at the Beta, who was still alive, but paralyzed. His eyes were wild, almost as if they were screaming for help.    
  
Isaac bent his knees and stabbed the Beta’s throat with his claws. His eyes finally stopped screaming.   
  
Mr. Lahey smirked. “Killing a defenseless man? What kind of a person are you, Isaac?”   
  
“A thousand times better than you,” Erica snarled. Mr. Lahey laughed and said, “Really? What man does --”   
  
“This is war,” Isaac interrupted. “Camden told me about war. He told me what to do. It was the last thing he did before you got him killed.”   
  
Mr. Lahey’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. “I, _what?_ How could I have gotten my son killed when he was serving his country? Those fucking Arabs got him, not me.”   
  
Mr. Lahey was slowly creeping toward one of the doors. Isaac was advancing on him, but not too quickly. Erica was circling the room, making her way toward the door Mr. Lahey was headed for.   
  
“It was his _third_ tour,” Isaac snarled. “The only reason he was still serving was so he could get away from _you_.”   
  
“That’s not true,” Mr. Lahey scoffed. “Camden loved his --”   
  
_“He told me himself,”_ Isaac said, growling. “Right before he left.”   
  
Mr. Lahey’s face hardened. “He lied, then. He wanted to --”   
  
Isaac leapt, and Mr. Lahey dodged, making a beeline for the door. He found Erica instead. And instead of barreling through her, he paused.    
  
Just enough time for Isaac to recover and grab his father from behind, trapping his arms.    
  
Erica swung her leg back and brought it forward and Isaac winced slightly at the sound of the impact. Mr. Lahey howled in pain and his legs gave away, his hands lamely trying to reach his genitals.   
  
“Just on the off chance he survives this,” Erica explained with a shrug. “Don’t need him reproducing anymore.”   
  
“Please, Isaac,” Mr. Lahey whimpered.   
  
“He’s not going to,” Isaac said coldly. He forced his father onto his knees and grabbed his hair, yanking his head back. His hands free now, Mr. Lahey caressed his balls (what was left of them, anyway).   
  
“Isaac, I’m your father, you can’t do this,” Mr. Lahey begged, gasping for air.   
  
“No, you’re not,” Isaac replied. “You stopped being my father after Mom died.”   
  
“Isaac --”   
  
Isaac closed his eyes and positioned his claws over Mr. Lahey’s throat. Erica watched Mr. Lahey beg his son for his life. She swallowed.   
  
“I loved you,” Isaac whispered. “At least, who you were.”   
  
“Isaac --”   
  
His claws broke skin, dug into the muscle of the throat, and Isaac yanked his hand away. Mr. Lahey fell, his face bouncing off the linoleum, gurgling. Erica watched the pool of blood expand beneath the body.   
  
“Isaac? You okay?”   
  
Isaac took in a deep breath and as he exhaled, a tear dropped from his left eye. Erica made her way over to him and pulled him in for a hug.   
  
“I’m sorry you had to do that,” Erica whispered.   
  
“Me too,” Isaac replied. He peeled himself off Erica. “Come on, this war isn’t done.”   
  
Isaac left the room, leaving Erica alone. She glanced down at the body of Isaac’s father, his eyes wide and sad, but lifeless. Erica frowned at the man.    
  
She followed Isaac out of the room.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Danny slipped into a room, pulled Brandon inside, and slammed the door shut. He scanned the room and found another door and exited through it, his hand tight around Brandon’s arm. He glanced down at him and found him looking at him. His burnt orange eyes were glowing. Danny sighed and continued down the hallway.   
  
_Why did I do this? Why did I just grab him? Is Jackson okay? I really fucked things up. Split us up. What am I doing?_   
  
Danny stopped and closed his eyes, listening to the chaos. He searched for evidence of his pack, but it was far too loud. Screams, crashes, gunfire, a fire roaring somewhere, the sound of people dying.   
  
Too much. Impossible to filter through all that and stay alert. Too dangerous.    
  
_Okay, I’ve got to get outside. It’s our best shot._   
  
Danny found a set of doors leading outside, but there were too many werewolves nearby, standing guard. He muttered curses and looked for another exit. He was tiptoeing his way across a room when Brandon accidentally kicked a metal container and it clattered as it skidded across the floor and hit the wall.   
  
“Shit, fuck,” Danny muttered. “Come on,” he said, dragging Brandon once again. They quickly found another room to hide in -- an operating room -- but this one was occupied. A werewolf was sitting on a chair, staring at nothing.   
  
Danny froze. Brandon didn’t see the werewolf, so he kept backtracking away from the door. Danny lurched to grab him and that caught the werewolf’s attention. He turned his head and narrowed his eyes at Danny. He glanced down at Brandon then back at Danny.   
  
He grinned, his eyes glowing pink.   
  
“So, you guys killed Aden, then?”   
  
Danny shielded Brandon with his body and slowly pushed him toward the door.    
  
“Why do you have him, though? Isn’t he Zoe’s?” Danny refused to speak. “There’s no way you guys killed Zoe, so... what _are_ you doing?”   
  
Danny edged closer to the door.   
  
“Don’t bother running. You’re not going to get away from an Alpha,” the werewolf said, grinning. Danny knew he was right, but he could at least keep Brandon safe...   
  
Danny turned around, pointed to the door, and shoved Brandon toward it. _“Go,”_ Danny added, despite knowing Brandon couldn’t hear him. Brandon fell against the door and looked back at Danny, who was already sprinting to meet the Alpha. Brandon whimpered and reached out for him.   
  
The Alpha barked out a laugh when Danny began running. He stepped to the side and waited for Danny to pass him by. Instead, Danny adjusted course. He hit the Alpha’s stomach and the Alpha’s body bent around Danny’s before he flew backwards and hit the wall hard.    
  
Danny looked back at Brandon, who still hadn’t left the room. “Go!” Danny tried, making gestures that he hoped would mean _open the door and get out_. Brandon pointed to something behind Danny. He turned and got slashed in the chest by the Alpha. Danny howled in pain and collapsed to the ground, blood spilling over his wounds, staining his shirt.    
  
The Alpha pulled Danny up by his shirt and grinned. Danny headbutted then punched him, feeling the crack of the Alpha’s jaw as his fist connected with it. The Alpha groaned and let go of Danny. He ran toward Brandon, but the Alpha grabbed the back of his shirt and swung him around. He let go and Danny hit the operating table and it toppled over and Danny went with it. The Alpha kicked away the table and growled over Danny.   
  
The Alpha dropped to his knees, trapping Danny’s arms beneath them. He laughed and punched Danny repeatedly, and Danny could only groan as a bit of blood came out of his nose. Danny tried to wrap his legs around the Alpha and pull him off, but failed. The Alpha just brushed them away.   
  
Danny groaned as another right hook landed. The momentum forced Danny’s eyes to the floor nearby, and he noticed a bone saw lying there. It was his best chance. He reached for it but was reminded that his arm was still trapped by the Alpha’s knee.    
  
The Alpha grinned. “It’s too bad. You’re a cute one. I would have liked keeping you around.” Danny growled and used all of his strength to buck the Alpha off him and grab the bone saw. He flicked it on and swung it at the Alpha.   
  
It nicked his throat, but didn’t go deep enough. The Alpha had punched Danny’s arm and he dropped the saw and watched it spin out of reach.    
  
_Fuck._   
  
“Nearly got me there,” the Alpha growled, his amusement gone. His pink eyes were bright, but somehow also dark. He threw a few punches, and Danny suffered them all. “I’ll thank you for killing Aden and making me the Alpha,” the werewolf whispered. “Now, die.”   
  
Danny swallowed. He watched the werewolf’s claws extend even further. They were so long. He knew he was dead.    
  
Danny heard footsteps. The Alpha stopped, his claws just inches from Danny’s throat. Out of the corner of his eye, the Alpha could tell that the footsteps belonged to the boy, Brandon. Smirking, he turned to face him and said, “Here to watch him die?”   
  
The Alpha didn’t register the bone saw in Brandon’s hands until it was too late. His eyes widened as he felt the blade cut through his throat and he jumped back, clutching at his neck. Danny gasped as he watched blood ooze through the werewolf’s fingers. Brandon dropped the saw and looked at Danny with this look. Danny wasn't sure what it meant, it almost looked like guilt, but not quite. Relief? Hope? Maybe all of that combined, and more.    
  
Then, the Alpha leapt for Brandon.    
  
Reacting instinctively, Danny used his feet to push Brandon out of the way. Brandon hit the floor butt-first, and gaped at Danny. After the Alpha hit the ground, Danny jumped on him and grabbed his hair and slammed his head against the ground repeatedly. After the Alpha finally stopped moving, Danny looked into his eyes. The pink eyes that burned so brightly was now a pathetic hue, quickly disappearing.    
  
Danny exhaled and got off the Alpha. He laid on his back and took a few breaths to allow his body to catch up. Brandon sat down beside Danny, his legs pressing against Danny’s side. Danny smiled and glanced at Brandon.   
  
“Thank you,” he said. Brandon seemed to understand. “You saved my life.”   
  
Brandon’s burnt orange eyes appeared and Danny matched him with his wildfire green eyes, and they smiled. Then, Brandon’s face twisted and he growled. Danny watched his orange eyes shift to pink, and Danny could smell the Alpha in him.   
  
“Fuck.”   
  
Brandon growled and climbed on top of Danny, who was far too tired to resist. He groaned in pain as Brandon straddled his chest, rubbing over the slashes the Alpha had given him; those weren't going to go away anytime soon.    
  
There might have been another reason Danny didn’t resist, but he had no time to worry about what it was, or why.   
  
Brandon howled softly and bit Danny’s neck, and Danny groaned.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Jackson flew through the doors, back into the room, and Derek could hear his head hit the ground a with a sickening thud. He peered at Jackson and Finstock, and Zoe snuck by his blind spot. She bit down on Derek’s leg and Derek snarled, turning his body to bite Zoe’s hip.   
  
Finstock tore his gaze away from the two Alphas fighting. Watching them duel in their wolf forms was mesmerizing, but there were more important things to worry about.   
  
Like Jackson.   
  
“Jackson!”   
  
Jackson groaned, blinking slowly. As the doors were slowly swinging shut, Finstock could see several Betas approaching. He cursed and picked Jackson up, depositing him against a wall.   
  
“Jackson, you need to pull yourself together,” Finstock said. “I’m going to need help.”   
  
Jackson groaned again, and Finstock wasn’t sure if Jackson even heard him. Sighing, Finstock made sure Jackson could stay on his feet before turning to face the Betas as they entered the room. There were four of them.   
  
“Hurry up, Derek,” Finstock said, cracking his fingers. The lead Beta grinned and she said, “Come here, Ossan.”   
  
Finstock narrowed his eyes. “I prefer Cupcake,” he said and growled. The woman shrugged and attacked. Finstock parried off her attack, spun and kicked the one behind her. The werewolf fell back and took down the third. Finstock kicked out one of the legs of the fourth Beta, punched him as he fell onto his knees, and turned around. The female Beta growled and leapt at him. Finstock tried to dodge but the werewolf behind him grabbed his legs and held him in place.   
  
Her claws sank deep into Finstock’s shoulders and he screamed.    
  
Derek roared.   
  
The sound of his Alpha’s voice jolted Jackson to full alertness. He blinked and saw the four werewolves that surrounded Finstock. None of them had their eyes on him, fortunately. Taking care to avoid aggravating the injuries he got from Zoe, Jackson attacked. He was able to knock down two of them, including the one that had her claws stuck into Finstock. Jackson gave one of the remaining werewolves four new bloody gashes running down his side and freed Finstock from the fourth werewolf’s clutches.    
  
For a second, Finstock and Jackson were together. For a second, they were safe.    
  
It didn’t last too long. They were outnumbered 2-1 and both injured, Jackson gravely. The Betas threw Jackson and Finstock around the room, toying with them. And Derek couldn’t help, as he was locked in his fight with Zoe, who was much more formidable than either Melly or Aden ever were.    
  
Then, the doors thundered open again, and the most terrifying thing that could ever walk the planet appeared. Everyone in the room froze. Derek gaped into those glowing eyes -- and he felt genuine fear. The only way to describe those eyes were... _hell_.   
  
The eyes were so black, and the glow made them blacker than the pupil somehow. And yet, you could see hints of the colors of fire -- red and orange. They were almost like flames, licking the edges of the irises.   
  
_She’s not even an Alpha, she’s only a Beta,_ Derek reminded himself. It helped, but barely.   
  
The woman scanned the room. Her eyes landed on Derek, lingered, then moved on. It stopped on Zoe.    
  
“Which one of you bit me?”   
  
The voice sounded the same, but it also sounded demonic. Evil. Derek could hear the anger in it. Derek looked at Zoe, who was preening. She snapped at the air with her teeth, boasting of her conquest. The woman growled. Before she could speak, however, the other set of doors opened and revealed Erica and Isaac, both of them panting. The woman glared at them then slowly turned her attention back at Zoe.   
  
“I’m going to skin you alive and turn you into a fur coat, and then I’m going to present it to my daughter.”   
  
Zoe growled, and Derek attacked, catching her off-guard. The two of them tangled up once again, slashing and snapping at each other. The rest of the werewolves stared at the woman who had taken a few strides toward them, unsure what she was going to do. Whose side was she on?   
  
Either way, it’s never a good thing when Victoria Argent joins the fight you’re in, especially if she’s a pissed off werewolf.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles was the last one to enter the basketball court. He ran over the wooden court, following the rest of his pack and the officers. The other werewolves were streaming into the gigantic room, snarling and growling.    
  
The officers escaped from the room through a door in the back, leaving the pack and the Winchesters alone. Plus Melissa.   
  
“Mom, get out of here,” Scott said. Melissa glared at him, and Scott withered under the pressure of her eyes. “Mom, please.”   
  
“No,” Melissa said. “I’m not going anywhere without you.”   
  
Scott sighed but didn’t argue any further. Stiles was standing a bit ahead of the pack, almost as if he was guarding them. Sam was standing the furthest back, near a table covered with random stuff. Dean was lying on the floor next to the table.   
  
The wolves formed a half-circle around Stiles but decided to not attack just yet -- instead, they parted to create room for Josh and Boomer as they walked through them. Stiles growled, his claws extended.    
  
“I’m going to kill you,” Stiles said, glaring at Josh. Josh nodded solemnly and said, “Good luck with that.”   
  
Stiles’ growl grew louder. Josh stepped forward, smirking. “You’re a rather odd werewolf, aren’t you? Not a normal one, at all. What are you, Stilinski?”   
  
“I’m the _thing_ that’s going to tear you apart,” Stiles replied coldly. Josh nodded again with a weird smile. “Yes, you sure are,” he said. “I’d love to know how you plan to do that?”   
  
Stiles didn’t say anything.    
  
“Why are we wasting time?” Boomer demanded. “Let’s just kill them and get it over with.”   
  
Josh rolled his eyes, but Boomer didn’t catch it. “Fine, fine. Just having a little fun. Have at it,” he said, waving his hand at the Hale pack. The Betas behind Josh and Boomer growled gleefully, and the pack could see them all shift into their Beta forms almost simultaneously.   
  
Gunfire exploded from behind the werewolves, and they spun around. The door opened and Chris Argent’s gun appeared first, followed by Chris Argent himself. He pulled the trigger and the closest werewolf dropped. Three more squeezes of the trigger, three more dead werewolves. Behind him, Dr. Deaton emerged, holding a small sack. He scooped up some of the Ash, closed his eyes, and poured it in front of him. The Ash connected with the two points of Ash near the entrance, forming one smooth line. Chris stepped back, grinning.   
  
Josh’s eyes widened and he said, “Mountain Ash.” He spun around to face Stiles, but Sam had already grabbed the sack on the table and tossed it to him. He was muttering to himself as he spread the Ash in front of the door, completing the circle.    
  
“No!” Josh screamed, as he watched one of his werewolves bounce off the barrier. He looked back at Stiles and growled. “You’re a fool, you locked yourself in here with us,” Josh said as his claws crept out. “Release us or I will kill your Alpha,” he hissed at Scott and the rest of the pack, who was outside the Mountain Ash barrier.    
  
Stiles shrugged and stepped over the line of Ash. Josh gasped, staring at Stiles. He hovered his hand over the line and felt the barrier stop him.   
  
“How did you do that?”   
  
“I’m magic, bitch,” Stiles growled. Josh snarled and spun around, briskly walking toward his Betas. “Find a way to get us out of here!”    
  
_“JOHNNY!”_ Boomer shouted. “We need you!”   
  
“Go around the front, quick,” Stiles hissed. “Hurry, before they arrive,” Stiles finished as the pack disappeared out of the door and rounded the building, placing themselves between Johnny and Josh and Boomer.    
  
“I can’t fucking believe they trapped us,” Josh muttered. “Fucking unbelievable.”   
  
“I’ve never seen this much Mountain Ash at once,” Felicia said, trying to ease Josh’s anger. "You couldn't --   
  
“That doesn’t fucking matter,” Josh snapped. Felicia frowned but withdrew.   
  
A roar of gunfire erupted, along with howls and screams. Josh and Boomer stood on the edge of the barrier, waiting. Hoping one of the werewolves would be able to break through the Hales, so they could find a way to break the barrier.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
His eyes opened and he stared at the sky. It was blue, with clouds here and there. The sun was shining beautifully, and the temperature was perfect. He could feel the grass beneath him, and he ran his fingers through the blades nearby. He sighed.  
  
 _So, I’m finally Dead, with a capital D, then?_  
  
“No, you’re not,” a voice said. Dean jerked up and glanced at the voice. A familiar man wearing blue jeans and plaids sat atop a table, smiling at Dean fondly. Dean cocked his head, raised his eyebrows and stammered the first syllable before saying, “Chuck? Is that you?”  
  
“In the flesh,” Chuck Shurley, the prophet, replied.  
  
“What are you doing in my heaven? Wait, when did you die?”  
  
Chuck smiled. “I’m not dead.”  
  
“Uhh, pretty sure you are. This is Heaven, by the way,” Dean said, spreading his arms wide as he got up. “Welcome to the club.”  
  
“Dean, I’m not dead,” Chuck repeated.  
  
“Well, you’re either dead, or I’m not dead and I’m somewhere else... which would be impossible. I’m pretty sure I’m dead, I saw that bullet coming.”  
  
“You are dead, yes,” Chuck confirmed. “Not for much longer, though.”  
  
Dean glared at Chuck. “Okay, who the hell are you? You’re not just a prophet, are you?”  
  
Chuck chuckled. “No, I’m not.”  
  
“Right,” Dean said. “So, what are you doing in my Heaven? Are we secretly soul mates?”  
  
Chuck smirked. “Open your eyes, Dean. This _is_ Heaven, but this isn’t _your_ Heaven, is it?”  
  
Dean frowned. He looked around him and realized that, while the air was perfect and it felt extremely peaceful, it didn’t feel like it was _his_ , not like the last time he and Sam “visited” Heaven. He stared at Chuck again. “How did you know?”  
  
Chuck just smiled cryptically. The pieces finally began to click together. Dean’s eyes widened and he pointed at Chuck, but Chuck beat him to it.  
  
“Yes, Dean. You’ve got it right. I’m God.”  
  
“What the _fuck_ ,” Dean snapped, his face twisting in anger. “You’re fucking _God?_ You abandoned Cas and everyone else to pretend to be a prophet, and you _stood by_ as Raphael killed Cas? You took everyone away from me,” Dean rambled, his emotions spilling out. Chuck remained seated, looking sad.   
  
“You took my parents away, you took my friends away, you took Sam away, you took _Cas_ away from me, and all of that, why? What the fuck was the point? You’re a fucking sadist. You get off on our pain, don’t you? Fuck you, Chuck. Fuck you.”  
  
“Dean.”  
  
Just one word, that was all Chuck had to say. Dean felt his anger waver. Dean groaned and exhaled sharply, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that fucking Chuck Shurley was God. He had already met God, and he never even knew.   
  
“I’m sorry, Dean,” Chuck said. “I understand your pain.”  
  
“You _understand_ my pain?" Dean asked incredulously. "How the fuck --”  
  
“Yes, I do, Dean. I am God, after all.”  
  
Dean had no rebuttal to that. So, instead, he glowered at him.   
  
“Dean, I am sorry. But you have to understand, there’s a reason for everything. Eventually, it’ll all be clear. It’ll make sense.”  
  
“And in the meanwhile? You just string us along, killing off whoever we’ve ever loved, leaving us utterly alone in this ugly-ass world?”  
  
Chuck replied, “I won’t expect you to understand my intentions. Nobody will, not even Michael. But trust me, it’ll all work out.”  
  
Dean snorted and cackled. “It’ll all work out? For _you_ , maybe. What about the angels that have all died since all of this bullshit started? Balthazar, Gabriel, Zachariah, Raphael, _Cas._ What about Michael? What about Adam? What about all of the people that died?   
  
“No, Chuck. It’s not going to work out. Not for us.”  
  
Chuck smiled. “Everything’s proceeding as planned.”  
  
“Oh, of _course_ you throw that at me. Typical villain line. Perfect,” Dean said, rolling his eyes. “What about Cas? Having me... fall in love with an _angel,_ was that a part of the plan?”  
  
“Speaking of Castiel,” Chuck said. “Castiel has been full of surprises.”  
  
“Surprises? I thought you said everything was going as planned?”  
  
“Just because they’re surprises doesn’t mean they’re not a part of the plan,” Chuck replied. Dean gaped at him, trying to figure out what he just said. “What?”  
  
“The biggest obstacle was getting you out of Hell,” Chuck began. “Castiel performed that task beautifully. I don’t think you’ll ever be able to understand just how hard it is to pull a soul out of Hell. And down the road, you and your brother have taught him to be... independent.”  
  
“Good,” Dean snapped. “Even angels deserve --”  
  
“It’s a good thing,” Chuck interrupted. “I need the angels to be independent. Lucifer was the first one. He chose to rebel against me. I applaud his courage, but he misunderstood me. Misunderstood my words.”  
  
Dean stared at Chuck, waiting for him to continue. Chuck resumed, “I didn’t say for angels to love all of humanity. I know that is impossible. I couldn’t possibly do that; there’s a lot of terrible human beings. No, what I meant was, _love the humans_.”  
  
Dean rolled his eyes. Of course God’s full of cryptic bullshit. Why wouldn’t he be? Dean sighed and asked, “How is that any different?”  
  
Chuck smiled. “Why don’t you ask Castiel that question?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Remember, Dean. Everything will make sense.”  
  
“What, Chuck --”   
  
Before Dean could complete his sentence, Chuck disappeared, leaving wispy white smoke behind. Dean frowned.  
  
Then, his world went black, and he snapped his eyes open, gasping.   
  
This time, the sky he saw was familiar. Except, it wasn't exactly a sky. More like a ceiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note -- "Ossan" as the werewolf called Finstock, is a Japanese term for a middle-aged man. It's kind of rude as well.


	18. Showdown

# Chapter Seventeen

  
Stars floated around Jackson’s vision. Lying on the floor in between a chair and an overturned desk, Jackson could barely move. The injuries Zoe gave him -- a dislocated shoulder, several broken bones, and gashes all over his chest and back -- were taking a long time to heal, rendering him useless in a fight, so he just stayed where he was, breathing heavily and willing his body to heal faster.    
  
He could hear the fight raging beyond his view. Erica, Isaac, and Finstock taking on the Betas. Derek and Zoe fighting, Victoria getting involved whenever she could.    
  
His mind was on one thing only, however. Danny. Ever since he took off with that kid in tow, Jackson hasn’t seen him. He didn’t even know why Danny did that. They had a plan, or as much of a plan “stick together and protect each other” could be. Instead, Danny took off, and now Jackson didn’t even know if Danny was still alive.   
  
Jackson’s thoughts were interrupted when Erica hit and then tumbled over the desk and landed on Jackson, who let out a loud _urggh_.   
  
“Shit, Jackson, you okay?”   
  
Jackson groaned and waved her off. Erica smiled apologetically before leaping over the desk and rejoining the fight. The Beta who had thrown her had his back to Erica. She punched his back and kicked out one of his knees, forcing him down on that knee. He growled and turned his head to Erica, only to be rewarded with a punch to the jaw.   
  
The Beta snarled and waved his claws wildly, but found no Erica. He turned, and saw nothing. His eyebrows scrunched up in confusion until he felt claws press up against his throat. His eyes flew wide and he tried to twist his way out, but Erica ripped his throat away.   
  
Erica shook off the excess of blood from her fingers, and looked at Finstock and Isaac. They were manhandling the last remaining Beta; the rest had been killed. Erica exhaled and went back to Jackson.   
  
“Hey Jackson,” Erica said. “You okay?”   
  
“Not really,” Jackson replied. “Taking forever to heal. Sorry I couldn’t help.”   
  
“Well, an Alpha carved you up,” Erica said. “Just worry about fixing yourself up, we’ll take care of the rest.”   
  
“What about Danny?”   
  
“I don’t know,” Erica said honestly, frowning. “Haven’t seen or heard him since.”   
  
Jackson groaned and closed his eyes. “I need to find him,” he said as he tried to get up. His body protested loudly and Jackson groaned in pain. He grabbed the edge of the desk and tried to pull himself up.   
  
Erica put her hand on top of Jackson and said, “Jackson, those injuries are bad. You’ll just get hurt even more if you get up. Stay down. We’ll find Danny.”   
  
Jackson sighed and nodded, staying where he was. “Find him, please.”   
  
Erica went back to Isaac and Finstock and said, “We should go find Danny now, come on guys.”    
  
A new wave of Betas chose that moment to make their appearance. Six Betas stood in front of the trio, snarling angrily.   
  
“Fuck.”   
  
Derek was vaguely aware of the new arrivals, but his focus was firmly on Zoe and Victoria. Victoria had wolfed out and Derek could see that her wolf was fighting her for control. Her wolf kept telling her to back off; Zoe was her Alpha. The human side kept moving forward, fully intent on tearing her apart.   
  
Derek snarled at Zoe, who was in between him and Victoria. Zoe snapped her head toward Victoria. Her eyes burning dark blue, Zoe roared and Victoria cowered instinctively. She, however, growled and got closer to Zoe.   
  
“Back the fuck off,” Zoe snapped after she shifted from her Alpha into her Beta form. “I’m your Alpha.”   
  
“I don’t give a fuck who you are,” Victoria replied coldly. “You’re werewolf _scum_.”   
  
“I’m still your --”   
  
Derek jumped and hit Zoe hard, taking her down. His claws dug into Zoe’s chest, tearing out chunks of her body. Zoe howled and kicked Derek off and got back on her feet. Snarling, Zoe wound herself up; she bent her knees and leaned forward, ready to attack. As she sprang, Victoria shoved her claws into Zoe’s back, splitting open the skin at several points. Victoria watched the blood spill out of the cuts with smug satisfaction.   
  
Zoe howled as she flew, and Derek met her midair. His shoulder slammed into Zoe’s shoulder and she doubled over, pushing out even more blood out of her back. She hit the floor hard and winced as the debris on the floor poked at her wounds.   
  
Derek was on her in an instant. Zoe clawed Derek’s arm but Derek batted her hands away and bit down on her hip and tore a chunk away. Zoe screamed in pain, slashing at Derek’s flank, her dark blue eyes practically bursting out of her head.   
  
Victoria joined in, ripping up Zoe’s body. Her claws pressed against Zoe’s throat and then, she hesitated. Derek stopped attacking Zoe and shifted into his Beta form and said, “Victoria --”   
  
“Shut up, Hale,” Victoria snapped. She stared at Zoe with ice-cold eyes. Derek could see Victoria’s hand shaking and Zoe’s eyes were wide, full of horror.   
  
“Please, --”   
  
“Shut the _fuck_ up,” Victoria snapped and Zoe fell silent. Victoria growled and her claws dug a bit deeper into Zoe.   
  
“ZOE!”   
  
Derek groaned. Zoe’s betas had taken notice of her predicament. Some of them tried running to her rescue, but Erica and Isaac managed to lock them down. Derek was relieved to see that two of the six had been killed already and his Betas were fine. He listened for Jackson’s heartbeat, and yes, he was fine also.   
  
“You piece of shit,” Victoria whispered. “You think you’re better than us all, don’t you? I don’t even know how many times you’ve tried to kill me and my family, and I _should_ kill you. I really should.”   
  
Instead, Victoria let up on Zoe’s throat.    
  
“But, I won’t. I refuse to become an Alpha. I _can’t_ ,” Victoria said with desperation. She looked at Derek. “Do it, fast. Now.”   
  
The slight relief that washed over Zoe disappeared quickly. “No wait, please --”   
  
Derek didn’t waste time waiting. He tore Zoe’s life away, ignoring the begging screams of Zoe’s Betas. Derek rose and let out a howl. He looked at the Betas squirming under Erica and Isaac, and the one under Erica’s eyes were now glowing the same blue. Isaac killed the Beta under him and Erica was just about to do so when Derek shouted, “No! Wait.”   
  
“What?”   
  
“He’s the new Alpha. I need to kill him, otherwise you’ll become the Alpha.”   
  
“Yeah, no thanks,” Erica said quickly as she got off the Beta. The Beta looked at Derek and decided to be courageous. He shifted into his newly found Alpha form and attacked. Derek grabbed him midair and slammed him against the floor, then he raked his fingers across his throat.   
  
Derek shook his head disapprovingly as he wiped the new Alpha’s blood off his clothes. Victoria watched the blue disappear from the dead werewolf’s eyes and then said, “Hale.”   
  
Derek looked back at her, eyebrows raised in question.   
  
“Sitrep. Now.”   
  
“Most of them are over at the school,” Derek replied. “Stiles’ there with the others. I can feel him, though, and he is still so angry. I don’t know why. But they’re fighting too. I think most of the werewolves are over there, so we need to hurry and get there, so we can help them.”   
  
“What about my husband?”   
  
“He’s over there, last I heard,” Derek said. “We need to find Danny then get to the school. Finstock, can you carry Jackson?” After Finstock nodded, Derek continued, “Okay then. Good. Let’s go. We need to hurry.”   
  
Finstock picked up Jackson and carried him, sandwiched by Isaac and Erica protectively. They followed Derek out of the room, closely followed by Victoria.    
  
As they searched for Danny, Derek couldn’t help but think, _Thank god she didn’t ask about Allison._   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
_Wasn’t I outside?_   
  
Blinking, Dean gazed at the ceiling. It was pretty far out, and he could see light fixtures hanging across the vast ceiling. He looked around and saw the basketball hoops and the flattened seats.   
  
_Oh, I’m in the gym. And those are werewolves. A lot._   
  
He jolted up, staring at the werewolves who were also staring at him.   
  
“He’s alive!” One shouted. “But, how? I don’t get it, he was dead, his heartbeat was gone, I don’t --”   
  
“Shut up Mike,” Josh snapped from the other side of the gym. The werewolf fell silent, and now Dean could hear the yelling and gunfire from the distance. Dean glanced down at the line of Mountain Ash and gave out a whoop.   
  
“Ha! That worked, didn’t it? Come on, see if you can come across _that_ ,” Dean mocked smugly. The werewolves glared at him and one pulled out a gun.   
  
“Right, forgot you guys had guns,” Dean said before sprinting for the door, just barely dodging the bullets. Dramatically wiping his forehead and exhaling, Dean continued down the hallway. He searched his body for his gun or any other weapon, but found none.    
  
“Must have left them on the field,” Dean muttered. “Sam! Where are you?!”   
  
No answer, so Dean kept going, closer to the sound of the battle. Eventually, he reached a door marked _LOBBY_ and poked it open. The first person he saw was Sam. Or, his back, anyway.   
  
“Sam!”   
  
Sam quickly looked at Dean then went back to the werewolf in front of him. She was clawing at Matt. Sam chopped an arm off then shoved the machete into the werewolf’s throat. She hit the ground hard, taking the machete with her.   
  
“Dean! Hurry up and help us,” Sam shouted. He grabbed his own gun and tossed it over to Dean then pried a gun off a dead officer’s hand, then yanking the machete out of the werewolf’s throat. Dean caught the gun and pulled the trigger, taking down another werewolf.    
  
“Dude, how long was I out?”   
  
“I don’t know, maybe thirty minutes.”   
  
“You’ll never guess who I met up there,” Dean said as he buried a bullet in another werewolf’s forehead.”   
  
“Cas?” Sam grinned.   
  
“No. God.”   
  
Sam stopped firing his gun. “Wait, what?”   
  
“Later,” Dean said. “Where’s the Sheriff?”   
  
Sam grimaced and shook his head slightly, and Dean sighed. He had forgotten. He saw Stiles ahead of them, tearing apart a Beta and challenging Johnny. He did a head count -- Matt, Lydia, Boyd, and Scott, check. Melissa, check. Argent dude, check. Dr. Deaton, check. Was he missing anyone else?   
  
“Everyone else okay?”   
  
“They’ve taken a lot of the cops down,” Sam replied. “Just saw them drag one out of here alive. I don’t want to know what they’re doing to him. Couldn’t get to him.”   
  
“What about the werewolves over at the basketball court?”   
  
“We worry about them last,” Chris Argent said in between ducking behind a vending machine and shooting. “They’re trapped, they can’t go anywhere. We worry about the ones here and the ones at the hospital first.”   
  
Sam nodded his head in agreement. Dean did as well, and they kept fighting; the werewolves and the Winchesters in the middle of it all, and everyone else hiding behind various objects and exchanging gunfire.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Danny and Brandon fought each other constantly.   
  
Danny kept Brandon behind him as they walked through the hallways, so he could protect him. Brandon constantly stepped in front of Danny, snarling and baring his teeth at whoever came close. Several werewolves had approached them only to stop and bare their teeth at Brandon. Danny saw them offer their throats in submission, and he realized that they were Brandon’s Betas.    
  
Others saw an golden opportunity to become an Alpha, and Danny had to fight them off _and_ protect Brandon, who was hell-bent on tearing those werewolves apart. The Alpha’s instincts had completely taken over Brandon and Danny had a hard time getting him to cooperate. Fortunately for Danny, most of those werewolves were more focused on Brandon instead of him, which made them easier to take down.   
  
Rubbing the bite mark on his neck, Danny continued down a hallway and somehow, he found himself in the lobby. Staring down the barrels of several guns.   
  
“Whoa! Whoa,” Danny yelped. “Hey, good guy here.”   
  
Brandon immediately got in front of Danny and this time, the growl that emitted from him was practically lethal. Danny took a hold of Brandon’s shoulders and squeezed them, trying his best to reassure him. It barely worked.   
  
The officers kept their guns at them until one of them said, “Hey, you’re the Mahealani kid, right? The goalie?”   
  
“Yeah,” Danny replied. “Everything okay?”   
  
“I don’t know,” the officer replied, waving the other officers off. “This is a bad place for us. We’re too close to the werewolves. They win in close combat, we don’t. But, we’re managing. Staying here, not venturing into the hallways. Most of them have fled by now anyway.”   
  
“Great,” Danny said, pulling Brandon toward himself. Brandon stuck onto him like feathers on tar, constantly letting out a low growl. “You see Derek? Or anybody from our pack?”   
  
“No, not yet,” the officer replied. “Been too busy... killing,” he finished, looking around the room. Danny followed his gaze and finally noticed the dead bodies. There were so many, most of them werewolves with bullet holes in their bodies. However, several of the bodies were officers too.   
  
“Shit,” Danny whispered. “What about the school? Any updates coming from there?”   
  
“We only got a small update, right before the fight over there started out,” the officer said, lowering his eyes. He looked distressed. Danny narrowed his eyes and asked, “What’s wrong?”   
  
“The Sheriff’s dead,” the man said sadly. Danny groaned. “Oh, fuck. What about Stiles?”   
  
“I don’t know. All I know is, the Sheriff died, and Stiles was the first one to engage them. Haven’t gotten an update since.”   
  
Danny sighed. “I need to find Derek, but there’s just too much going on, I can’t find them. I don’t --”   
  
“Why don’t you just howl?” One of the officers asked. Danny stared at him blankly and the officer quickly added, “Sorry, I watch too much TV. Ignore me.”   
  
“No, no,” Danny said. “You’re right. I should.”    
  
Then, he howled.    
  
The officers were covering their ears by the time Danny finished. The first officer that spoke said, “You just let everyone _else_ know where you were, didn’t you?”   
  
Danny grimaced. He hadn’t thought of that. “I suppose so.”   
  
A single Beta popped out of a door and was immediately taken down by several bullets. Danny could smell the fresh wolfsbane wafting from the body.    
  
“We’re nearly out of wolfsbane bullets,” the officer muttered. “Fuck, what do we do then?”   
  
Nobody answered him, and he groaned. “God damn it. Smith, call --”   
  
The doors on the other side of the room burst open, and the officers all aimed. Derek stepped through and Danny let out a loud sigh of relief. “Thank god, Derek, you’re --” He stopped talking after he saw Finstock cradling Jackson. His eyes went wide and he stammered, “J-- Jackson?”   
  
“He’ll be fine,” Derek said quickly, and Jackson smiled at Danny. Danny exhaled and returned the smile. Derek narrowed his eyes at Brandon, who was now growling louder, his pink eyes burning brightly.   
  
“He’s an Alpha,” Derek deadpanned.   
  
“I know,” Brandon said. “We came across one. He nearly killed me, Brandon saved my life. And he,”   
  
“Killed him,” Derek finished. Danny nodded. Derek’s gaze landed on his neck and his eyes grew wide. “Oh. That’s why.”   
  
“What?”   
  
“Why did you just grab him and run?”   
  
Danny sheepishly replied, “I... I don’t... I just had to.”   
  
“He’s claimed you,” Derek said. The confusion was clear on Danny’s face, so he continued, “You’re his mate. He’s claimed you.”   
  
“Oh.”   
  
Derek looked back at the officers and said, “Most of them are dead or gone by now. Can you guys handle the rest? We need to get to the school.”    
  
The officer in charge nodded and Derek ushered the pack out of the building. Danny tried to follow the pack out, but Brandon grabbed a hold of him and hissed, refusing to let him go or leave.   
  
“Come on, Brandon,” Danny muttered, trying to drag him out. Brandon refused to budge, snarling at the retreating pack.   
  
“Damn it,” Danny growled. The automatic doors opened again and Derek appeared, glaring at Brandon. Brandon growled at him, then Derek _howled_ , and Brandon shrank back, but kept growling.   
  
“I don’t care if he’s your mate,” Derek said, “he’s _my_ pack. You can either join us or let him go. _Now._ ”   
  
“Derek, stop,” Danny said.   
  
“ _No,_ ” Derek snapped. “He needs to --”   
  
“Derek, he’s deaf,” Danny interrupted. “He doesn’t understand what you’re saying. He can’t hear you.”   
  
Derek stared at Danny. He looked at Brandon, then back at Danny. Growling, Derek went up to Danny and quickly bit down on Danny’s neck, on the opposite side of Brandon’s bite.   
  
“Ow! What the fuck!”   
  
Brandon hissed at Derek and Derek roared back. Brandon cowered once again and went back to growling.   
  
“Seriously, Derek, what the fuck?”   
  
“I claimed you as a packmate,” Derek explained. “He saw me do it. He knows you’re pack. Now, let’s go.”   
  
Derek turned and left the building, leaving Danny and the officers gaping. Danny blinked then looked down at Brandon, who looked downright offended, but he seemed to have stopped resisting. Sighing, Danny said, “Come on, let’s just go.”   
  
Danny met the pack outside. They were climbing into the Porsche and the Camaro; Isaac took the keys from Jackson and got into the driver seat. Finstock laid Jackson into the back seat, then took the passenger seat.   
  
Erica climbed into the back seat of the Camaro and was awkwardly joined by Victoria. Danny got in the passenger seat, Brandon sitting on his lap. He was still staring at Derek. Rolling his eyes slightly, Derek peeled out of the parking lot and slammed on the gas pedal.   
  
“Hey Derek?” Erica whispered. “Maybe you ought to slow down a bit. We’re going pretty fast.”   
  
“No,” Derek muttered. “I need to find Stiles. I need to just... the anger, I just...”   
  
“Anger?” Danny asked.   
  
“I can feel Stiles. He’s really angry, and I don’t even know why, and I just...”   
  
“Oh,” Danny whispered. “I think I know why.”   
  
Derek’s eyes were on Danny in an instant. _“Why?”_   
  
“The officers back there told me,” Danny paused. Derek narrowed his eyes. “The Sheriff’s dead.”   
  
Danny could hear the whine of the steering wheel as Derek’s grip tightened. He heard Derek’s heartbeat skyrocket and somehow, the Camaro was going even faster. Derek’s eyes was burning red.   
  
“Well, shit,” Erica said.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Boomer growled. He stood at the edge of the Ash, staring at the line. He tries to push the Ash back with his foot, but he couldn’t even touch it. “This Mountain Ash bullshit is bullshit,” Boomer cursed. Boomer’s sister placed a hand on his back and said, “It’s fine, Johnny will pull through, he’ll get us out of here.”   
  
On cue, the doors front of them swung open and one of the last of Johnny’s Betas walked in, dragging a police officer. He dropped the officer right in front of the Ash and said, “Clear it. Now.”   
  
Shaking, the officer stared at the line. He shook his head.   
  
“Do it, _now_. Or I will tear your throat out.”   
  
“You’ll do it anyway,” the officer whimpered.    
  
Josh, on the other side of the line, crouched until he was eye-level with the officer. Then, he said, “I’ve already made it clear that we will take in anyone who helps us. Clear the line, and we’ll give you the bite. You’ll live with us. Maybe you don’t want to be a werewolf, but at least you’ll be alive. It’s your choice.”   
  
The officer stared at Josh. Josh could see the gears in his head grinding as he considered the offer.    
  
Reluctantly, the officer swiped a finger through the line, breaking the circle. Boomer felt the pressure disappear beyond his body, and he stepped over the line. Josh got up and said, “Wonderful. Thank you.” Then, to the Beta that brought him, “Kill him.”   
  
“Wait, what? But, you said --”   
  
“You had your opportunity. You already made your choice. You chose to stay here.”   
  
“But, you --”   
  
Gurgles replaced the rest of his sentence. He hit the wooden court hard and gasped, then died. Josh motioned something at the werewolves behind him and they moved, funneling into the hallway leading to the battle. The Beta leaned over and wiped the blood off the officer’s uniform, then looked at Josh and Boomer.   
  
“There aren’t too many of them left. Most of the cops are dead. A few left, plus the Hales and the hunters.”   
  
“Good, it’s time we ended this,” Josh said, smiling evilly. The Beta joined the werewolves that were leaving the court, leaving Josh, Boomer, Felicia, and Jasmine waiting for the Betas to pass.    
  
Once the swarm of werewolves cleared up, Boomer cracked his neck and knuckles and said, “Finally, I can return the favor they gave Johnny’s pack.” He stepped into the hallway and strode to the battle, followed by his sister, then by his fellow Alpha and his second.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles’ wolf ears perked up and his head snapped toward the doors, seconds before they swung open and more werewolves poured out to join the fight. He knew that the Ash barrier must have been broken somehow. He roared at the rest of the Hales and jerked his head at the set of doors behind them, leading to the parking lot.   
  
“Retreat!” An officer shouted.  
  
The police officers, Dr. Deaton, Chris and Melissa were the first ones to leave, the Hales and Winchesters forming a barrier around the humans as they slipped out of the building. Then, the Hales pulled together, pushing Dean and Sam back.  
  
“Come on!” Dean shouted.  
  
“ _Go,_ ” Scott said, pushing Dean toward the doors as a werewolf leapt at him. Scott met the werewolf before he could reach Dean and managed to stay on his feet, forcing the werewolf back. “GET OUT.”  
  
Sam and Dean obeyed and exited the building. Sam grabbed Melissa, who was standing by the doors, and dragged her with them.  
  
“No, let me go! Scott needs me!”  
  
“No, Melissa, come on, we need to go,” Sam replied. He kept his hold on her until she stopped resisting and came along, and they ran. The officers had dropped behind the few cars that were parked there, pointing their guns at the doors.   
  
Stiles snarled and with one sweep of his arm, he slashed four werewolves and they all dropped, clutching their wounds. He pushed Boyd to the door and growled. Boyd got the hint and said, “Come on guys! We need to get out!”  
  
The rest of the pack retreated slowly until most of them were at the door. He and Boyd went outside and Stiles took over their spots, slashing and biting at the werewolves that pushed at them. The Betas were afraid of Stiles, so his presence was just enough for there to be an opening for the others to get out, so Stiles turned to order Matt and Lydia out of the building, except --  
  
Lydia.  
  
She wasn’t there.  
  
“Lydia!” Matt shouted.  
  
Stiles’ eyes widened and he saw a flash of strawberry blond hair beyond the line of werewolves in front of him and he knew it was Lydia. Stiles roared and dove into the crowd and ripped apart whoever was in his way, and Matt followed as quickly as he could.  
  
Stiles found Lydia on the floor, covering herself as two werewolves tore at her body. Stiles slammed his fist at one of the werewolves' back, and he collapsed. The other one looked up at Stiles and growled. Stiles backhanded him and he flew backwards and hit the wall hard.  
  
Matt picked Lydia up and got behind Stiles. Stiles spun around and torpedoed into the crowd, clearing as much space for Matt and Lydia as he could. He ignored every new wound the werewolves carved into him.   
  
_Get them out. Get them out._  
  
Stiles reached the doors, saw Boyd and Scott fighting the few werewolves that went outside, and tore a werewolf that was hovering at the door in half. Matt groaned in pain when a werewolf sank his claws into his back, but he ignored it and kept going. Stiles jumped back in front of Lydia and roared at the werewolves around them, creating a very small window for Matt and Lydia.  
  
Matt grabbed Stiles’ fur and yanked, pushing Lydia onto him. “Take her,” Matt gasped, in obvious pain. Stiles glared at Matt for a second before he darted forward, carrying Lydia out of the building. Stiles dropped Lydia on the ground and turned back for Matt. He found him on his knees, werewolves surrounding him. Stiles growled and Matt shouted, “ _Go. Save her._ Get out of here.”  
  
“MATT!” Lydia screamed.  
  
Stiles watched the werewolves tear into Matt; he saw one of them reach for his throat. It was too late for Stiles to do anything. Matt groaned as his throat was torn away, and the view of his body disappeared into the crowd before it hit the floor.  
  
Stiles roared and used the extra burst of energy from his anger to tear apart the closest werewolf, freeing Boyd. “Come on, Lydia!” Boyd shouted as he pulled Lydia away from the building. Scott kicked the werewolf he was fighting away and ran back to join Boyd and Lydia and Stiles galloped behind, angry at the loss of yet another pack member.  
  
As soon as they drew closer, the officers started firing at the werewolves behind them. Stiles stopped and turned around to face the werewolves. The nearest of them stopped and drew back, afraid to challenge Stiles alone in an open area. Stiles didn’t give them a chance; he attacked.  
  
Stiles tore apart werewolf after werewolf, until eventually, the officers ran out of bullets. That was when the Alphas came out.  
  
“Finally,” Josh said, smiling at Stiles, who was staring at them. The rest of the werewolves withdrew behind them, waiting.  
  
“They can’t help you anymore,” Josh said, pointing to the humans behind Stiles. “Not even your Betas can help you now. It’s just you and me. And, well, them,” Josh said, pointing to Johnny and Boomer with his thumbs.   
  
“I wonder who wins this fight? You, or us?”  
  
Stiles growled and bared his teeth.  
  
“I have to disagree,” Josh said. “I think we’ll win.”  
  
Boomer was the first to shift. His muscular physique remained when he shifted into his Alpha form, making him the most muscular wolf Stiles had ever seen. Then, Johnny shifted, leaving Josh.   
  
“Showtime,” Josh said, grinning. His eyes glowed orange and he shifted, his clothes tearing up. Now, Stiles was staring down three Alpha wolves.   
  
“He can’t do this alone,” Melissa cried, looking around wildly. Sam frowned, because he knew Melissa was right, but what could they do? Even Melissa had used up all of the Colt’s bullets.   
  
“Just _look_ at him,” Melissa said, her voice heavy with despair. “Look at his fur.”   
  
Dean, Sam, Dr. Deaton, and Chris stared at Stiles.  
  
“Look at all those wounds, look at all that blood,” Melissa said as one of the wounds Stiles had stitched itself up. “He can’t keep doing this, he’s losing way too much blood. He needs help, please.”  
  
“We just got to do what we can,” Dean replied, staring at the Alphas.  
  
“Scott,” Lydia said. She was sitting on the floor, leaning against one of the patrol cars. “You’ve got to help him. We can’t leave him alone.”  
  
“I know,” Scott replied. “But, there’s three of them and we can’t fight them. And even if we did, there’s too many of the Betas. I don’t know what to do.”  
  
“You two go help Stiles as much as you can,” Dean said. “We’ll grab some more weapons out of our trunk and then, we’re just going to have to fight them. Get up close and personal. No choice.”  
  
“Heal as quickly as you can,” Boyd said. “We need you.”  
  
Lydia nodded. “I’ll be there soon.”  
  
Scott and Boyd took off, running to join Stiles. Josh snapped his teeth at the Alphas’ Betas, and then they roared. Edging around the Alphas and Stiles, they went straight for everyone else. Scott and Boyd stopped and backtracked, looking back at the humans. Sam had already popped up the trunk of the Impala and was tossing machetes and knives and whatever else they could scrounge up to the officers.  
  
Melissa stayed to tend to Lydia as the rest of them ran out to join Scott and Boyd. Stiles could hear the fight behind him start, but he refused to look. He couldn’t take his eyes off the Alphas. Stiles felt Derek’s wolf within grow stronger and stronger, and he knew Derek was coming.   
  
_Hurry up, Derek, please. I need you._  
  
Boomer was the first one to attack. Fortunately, his powerful built meant he was slow. Or, slower than the others. Boomer went straight for Stiles, so he jumped to his left, dodging. Johnny met Stiles at his destination, but Stiles managed to jump up high and slam his paws into the back of Johnny’s head, sending him crashing onto the ground.   
  
With Stiles in the air, vulnerable, Josh leapt and hit Stiles in the dead center of his chest. Stiles groaned as he crashed into the ground. He heard Boomer running. Instead of dodging, Stiles got back on his feet and went straight for Boomer. He feinted a jump and Boomer fell for it and adjusted himself to prepare for an aerial attack. Instead, Stiles slammed into Boomer and sent him flying backwards.   
  
Josh slashed Stiles’ flank as soon as he hit Boomer, and Stiles howled. He swung his paw around and felt it connect with Josh’s head. He watched him stumble away, then checked on Boomer, who was still picking himself up.   
  
Johnny, however, had recovered, and he hit Stiles hard, sending him flying. He hit the ground hard and tumbled a few times before coming to a stop. Groaning, Stiles got back on his feet and faced the Alphas.  
  
The three of them were together once again with wolfish grins. Stiles watched as Johnny and Boomer circled him, ready for a strike. Josh drew closer.  
  
 _Please, Derek, hurry!_  
  
All three of them attacked at the same time.


	19. Finally

# Chapter Eighteen

  
As soon as the parking lot came into view, Derek swerved. He jumped the curb and the Camaro rumbled across grass and then sparks flew when the bumper slammed against the road. The jerky movement had all four passengers bumping their head on the roof of the Camaro and Brandon snarled, his teeth visible. Derek ignored him. Stiles was _right ahead_.   
  
“If you follow him, I’ll kill you,” Jackson deadpanned from the back seat. Isaac grimaced and entered the parking lot the proper way. Finstock groaned as he saw the dead bodies.   
  
“Looks like a fucking war zone here,” Finstock commented.    
  
“What, the hospital didn’t?” Jackson said.   
  
“It’s different, somehow,” came the reply.    
  
Derek jumped out of the Camaro before it came to a full stop. He immediately shifted into his Alpha form and ran straight for Stiles, scattering the werewolves that were in his way.    
  
The Camaro finally stopped when it bumped against the curb in front of the building, and Danny threw the door open. Erica had already pushed back the driver seat and was climbing out, Victoria right behind her. Danny dragged Brandon off him, got out of the car, then put Brandon back inside.   
  
“Stay here.”   
  
Brandon snarled and tried to follow Danny out, but Danny growled at him, his eyes bright green.   
  
“ _No._ Stay here.”’   
  
Danny made sure all of Brandon’s limbs were inside the car before slamming the door shut. He ran around the car and shut the door Derek left open. Then, he ran to join the fracas.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Chris had a bat in his hand and he was smashing in the head of a werewolf when another one hit him and he fell on his back, the bat rolling out of reach. He frantically tried to grab it, but the werewolf pinned him down and raised his arm. Chris could see the glint of his claws. He swallowed.    
  
The werewolf brought his claws down and Chris shut his eyes. A shadow flew over Chris' eyes, then the weight on him was gone. He opened his eyes and scrambled for the bat, then got up. He saw Erica tear into a werewolf that was fighting Melissa and Scott on his right and he thought, _where the hell did she come from?_   
  
Chris spun around, waving the bat up high. He saw a flash of red hair and froze. The werewolf that was just on top of Chris was now lying dead. The woman on him rose from his knees and turned, blood dripping off her claws. Chris’ mouth dropped and his eyes grew wide.   
  
_Victoria._   
  
“Victoria?”   
  
Victoria turned to face Chris, her eyes glowing black. The hunter in him cried in agony, but the husband in him shouted joy. Victoria was alive, that was all he cared about. It didn’t matter if she was a werewolf.   
  
“Oh thank god, Victoria,” Chris grinned. Bewildered, Victoria stared at him. “Chris, I’m a werewolf. Why do you look so happy?”   
  
“Because I can’t lose you too,” Chris said, a tear falling. He saw a werewolf approaching from behind Victoria and he shouted for her to duck. She did so, and he swung his bat around and heard bones crack as it connected with the werewolf’s head.    
  
“What do you mean, _too_?”   
  
Chris stared at his wife. “That’s not a conversation we should have right now,” Chris said. “We have business to deal with.”   
  
Victoria looked around, taking in the scene. Then, she looked back at Chris, who was swinging his bat but missing the werewolf.   
  
“Where’s Allison?”   
  
Chris froze, and the werewolf slashed his arm. Wincing, Chris dropped the bat and stumbled backwards, clutching his arm. The werewolf advanced but Victoria was on him immediately, punching and kicking her away.    
  
“Not now,” Chris said through clenched teeth. He saw a knife sticking out of one of the dead werewolves and grabbed it with his healthy arm and yanked it out. He ran and stabbed a werewolf in the neck, rescuing the officer it was fighting with.    
  
“You okay?”   
  
“Yeah,” the officer replied before finding another werewolf to fight. Chris turned to scan their group and realized that the officer was the last one standing. Every other officer was either dead or severely injured.    
  
Chris exhaled a relief when he saw Finstock, Isaac, and Jackson join in the fight, although Jackson looked to be pretty badly hurt already. _Every bit helps_ , Chris thought. He retrieved the knife from the werewolf’s throat and rejoined the fighting, keeping an eye on his wife. She seemed to be furiously tearing apart anybody she came across, and he thought she might have figured it out.   
  
_Shit._   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles panted, staring at the three Alphas in front of him. He was stronger and faster than any of them, but the three of them combined was just enough to give them the upper hand. The Alphas had various cuts on their body courtesy of Stiles, but Stiles had suffered more. He could feel his own blood dripping off the fur. The cut over his eye had swollen it shut, so he was operating on just one eye now. He was trying to focus his healing on the eye first, but it was difficult since he wasn’t getting any breaks.   
  
Stiles had managed to snap one of Boomer’s legs, so he was limping and hanging back. Waiting for the bone to mend, of course. Stiles had no chance at taking advantage of Boomer’s injury; the other two would never let him get close.   
  
Stiles jumped to his right when Josh attacked. Johnny, however, had slipped out of Stiles’ damaged peripheral vision; Stiles never saw him coming. Johnny put his full weight behind the hit he delivered and Stiles felt two of his ribs snap in half. The hit lifted Stiles off his feet and he landed on his side several feet away. Josh appeared immediately and opened up four new gashes across his back and Stiles howled in agony. He pushed himself off the ground and delivered a punch that sent Josh flying backwards. The momentum had him stumbling, though, his strength rapidly fading.   
  
Boomer approached slowly and Stiles stared. Boomer was slow, but his hits hurt like hell. Stiles carefully studied Boomer, watching his legs for any movement. Boomer growled and Stiles narrowed his focus on him, but his ears picked up the sound of footsteps approaching, so he spun around and met Johnny, their claws clashing.   
  
Then Stiles’ chest swelled, and he could _feel_ him. So could Johnny, apparently, as he stopped fighting as well.   
  
Derek was here.   
  
The werewolves that separated the Alphas and Stiles from the rest of the Hales suddenly parted, and Boomer was too late to dodge.   
  
Derek hit Boomer so hard, Stiles was surprised Boomer was still in one piece. Boomer didn’t stop flying until he hit the wall of the building, hard. Johnny backed off when Derek approached them, snarling. He hovered over Stiles protectively, staring down Josh and Johnny.    
  
Finally feeling safe, Stiles collapsed. Panting heavily, Stiles nudged Derek’s paw and nibbled at it. He felt his connection with Derek strengthen as soon as they were touching and Stiles exhaled. Derek was here; they were going to be okay.   
  
Stiles closed his eyes and focused on one thing, and one thing only.   
  
_Heal._   
  
Derek growled, his crimson eyes burning with rage. He looked at Stiles, just for a second, and they attacked. Josh and Johnny came from two different directions. Derek took off to meet Josh and they brawled for a few seconds before Johnny joined in, sinking his claws into Derek’s back. Derek howled and swung his arm around and slammed into Johnny’s side, throwing him off of Derek.    
  
Josh sank his teeth into Derek’s leg and yanked, pulling Derek off balance. Johnny jumped on top of Derek, pushing him into the ground and bit down on his neck. Derek immediately rolled toward Josh and kicked him, freeing himself from Johnny. Josh grunted when the foot connected with his stomach, but didn’t budge much.   
  
Josh did, however, loosen his grip on Derek’s leg. Derek yanked his leg out of Josh’s fingers and go to all fours, snarling. He jumped on Josh and blood spewed out of his flesh as Derek dug his claws under his skin and plowed down his back. Johnny leapt at Derek, but he ducked and Johnny missed him completely, crashing into a light pole. Derek jumped off Josh and faced Johnny. Josh got up slowly, the rumble of his growl matching Derek and Johnny’s.   
  
Derek forgot about Boomer until he felt an impending sense of doom. He saw Johnny’s eyes flicker to the spot just above Derek, and he knew.    
  
Derek spun around to find Boomer’s body descending on him from above. Derek braced himself for the impact, but it never came.   
  
Stiles hit Boomer hard and they crashed onto the ground, just barely missing Derek. The two of them rolled around, fighting to assert their dominance. Derek whipped his head back at Josh and Johnny, growling. Johnny’s attention was on Boomer and Stiles, but Josh’s wasn’t. Derek leapt and slashed Johnny’s face, then spun around Josh to avoid his blow.    
  
Johnny’s howl distracted Boomer just enough for Stiles to get the upper hand over him and take control of their fight. Derek checking on Stiles also gave Josh the opening he needed, however. Josh dug into Derek’s skin, picked him up, and threw him several yards away. Derek tried to twist his body so he could land on his feet, but failed; he hit the concrete hard, accompanied by some snaps.   
  
In a flash, Stiles was by him, growling at the three Alphas. Derek struggled to get up, only managing to do so after the broken bones in his legs snapped back into position. The three Alphas were all together now, staring and growling at Derek and Stiles.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Fucking hell,” Dean muttered, trying to dislodge the machete from the dead werewolf. He jerked at it a few times before it finally came free, and he exhaled. He glanced back at his brother, who was standing next to Boyd, hacking and slashing. Behind him, Dr. Deaton and Melissa stood back-to-back, holding knives. They weren’t engaging anyone, but they were ready for action.   
  
The Hales and the humans had created an impromptu circle; the fighters forming the line and the injured staying in the middle. That was Dr. Deaton and Melissa were, along with Jackson and Lydia. Dean saw alertness in Jackson and Lydia’s eyes, but their bodies were running on empty. Dean grimaced when he noticed the amount of blood covering them and then his grimace got worse when he realized they weren’t the only one drenched with blood.   
  
Chris and Victoria were fighting together, standing in between Danny and Finstock. Isaac and Erica were next to Boyd, Scott next to Isaac. In between Dean and Danny, the last officer stood. Every one of them were injured, bleeding one way or another.    
  
It was crowded, but it was their best shot at survival.   
  
The window on the driver side of the Camaro shattered and Brandon jumped out. He was in his Alpha form; a medium-sized wolf with dark brown fur. He howled and ran straight for Danny, who froze.   
  
Chris saw Brandon and shifted to meet him with his knife, but Danny pulled him back. He broke the circle and ran for Brandon, ignoring the new cuts he received from the surrounding werewolves. As soon as he got to Brandon, Danny pushed him back, trying several different gestures to get him to run. He pointed at Brandon then pointed away from the fight and slapped him on the rump, and Brandon snarled. He shook his head and growled at the werewolves behind them.    
  
Danny looked and the first one was just five feet away. Danny pushed Brandon behind him and met the werewolf, snarling. Brandon was right there, assisting with his teeth.   
  
Dean gaped at the Danny and Brandon, wondering what the fuck was going on. He and Sam noticed the gap in the circle about the same time as the werewolves did.   
  
One of the werewolves shot inside the circle and snarled, his mouth wide open, about to clamp down on Melissa’s neck. Sam grabbed Melissa and pulled her away from the werewolf, using the momentum to cover her with his body. The werewolf bit down on Sam’s neck instead.   
  
“Sam!!” Dean shouted. He could hear Sam groaning in pain and that set Dean off. He ran to the werewolf and hacked his machete through his neck. The body fell, but the head was still attached to Sam, so Dean tucked his machete under his armpit and tried to pry the head off.   
  
“Dean!”   
  
Dr. Deaton’s voice reminded Dean of the fact that there were more than one werewolf. He grabbed the handle of the machete and spun around, but the werewolf was too close for the machete. Dean tried anyway, but the werewolf slapped the machete out of his hand and grabbed Dean’s throat and picked him up and held him high, his toes grazing the concrete.    
  
Dean grabbed at the werewolf’s hands as he choked, trying to peel his fingers off him. He couldn’t even pry one. Dean felt his claws digging under his skin. Out of the corner of his eye, Dean saw the officer next to him fall to the ground, his throat in a werewolf’s hand. More werewolves poured inside the circle from the spots where Dean and Sam were at. Jackson and Lydia jumped in front of Melissa and Dr. Deaton, taking the blows that were aimed at them.    
  
Their chests spewed out fresh blood and they collapsed next to Sam, crying out in pain. Dean could vaguely hear Danny screaming Jackson and Lydia’s names. The werewolf tightened his grip around Dean’s throat and he choked harder.    
  
Dean gasped for air, his eyes around around wildly, searching for help. Then, the world seemed to slow down.    
  
Dean heard Melissa’ screams. He saw Scott turn and reach for his mother, overlooking the werewolf behind him. Scott screamed when the werewolf tore his back into shreds.    
  
Dean heard the screams of the Betas. He saw blood spilling out of Erica’s arms and back, he could see Danny trying to fight his way back into the circle. He was outnumbered.   
  
_Cas,_ Dean prayed. _Please, God. You can’t do this to us. Please. I need him._   
  
Dean saw someone fly in front of him and hit the ground with a sickening thud. Isaac. Fresh blood splattered on Dean’s face, but he had no clue who it belonged to.   
  
They were going to die. Dean was sure of that.   
  
_Cas..._   
  
A blinding light flashed and the werewolf holding Dean loosened his grip. Dean slipped out of his clutches and fell to the ground, rubbing his neck. He looked back at the werewolf and noticed the blade sticking out of its throat.   
  
An extremely familiar blade.   
  
The werewolf dropped to the ground, revealing a man wearing a trenchcoat behind him, staring at Dean with piercing blue eyes.   
  
Dean grinned.   
  
Castiel looked away from Dean and stared at the werewolves around him. Every single one of them had frozen in shock, staring at him. Castiel’s presence was overwhelming. Only the Alphas and Derek and Stiles were still fighting.    
  
Castiel spoke, “Stop this fighting, or you will die.”   
  
One of the werewolves growled and lurched at Castiel, swinging his claws. The others snapped back into reality and started attacking again.   
  
Castiel swiftly cut open the throats of four of the nearest werewolves and buried his blade into the head of a fifth werewolf before the body of the first one even hit the ground. He yanked the blade out of the werewolf’s head, busting it open and sending pieces of his skull flying. In a blink of an eye, Castiel was standing near Melissa and Dr. Deaton, killing the three werewolves that were reaching for them.   
  
Dean picked up the machete and got back on his feet, rejoining the fight. Isaac was fighting with Danny and Brandon. Erica was bleeding bad but still mobile. Boyd was next to Erica, protecting her. Chris was heaving hard, the broken ribs seriously interfering with his abilities to fight, but he had Victoria. Finstock seemed to be the least hurt out of them all, with just a few deep cuts on his leg.    
  
Despite the fact that Scott, Jackson, Lydia, and Sam (along with Melissa and Dr. Deaton) were all out of the fight, the tides tipped into their favor.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
For just a split second, Stiles saw them, right before Castiel appeared. Nobody else reacted. Nobody else saw. They were majestic, beautiful. Huge. It was such a marvelous sight, he completely forgot about the fight he was caught up in. Then, they disappeared and Stiles’ focus returned to the fight.   
  
Stiles will never forget what they looked like. If he didn’t believe Castiel before, he sure did now.   
  
Castiel really was an angel.   
  
Derek roared and Josh staggered away from him, bleeding from his neck. Boomer jumped in front of Josh and attacked Derek, their claws ripping each other up. Johnny jumped at Stiles, claws outstretched, but Stiles simply sidestepped and sent him flying backwards with a kick. Johnny hit Josh hard and after rolling a few times, they came to a stop, their limbs tangled up.   
  
Stiles ran at Derek and Boomer, slamming into Boomer and breaking up their fight. Boomer went back a few steps, stopped, then charged. Stiles met him head-on, and they both howled as their claws found flesh. Johnny went straight for Stiles, but Derek intercepted him and they tangled up and Derek bit down hard on Johnny’s arm.   
  
Josh did what Johnny tried to do; he caught Stiles unaware and deep gashes appeared across his stomach, all the way to his back. Stiles growled and kicked Boomer away, then turned and dug his claws into Josh’s sides and slammed him against the ground. He heard Boomer running at him, but when Stiles looked at him, he abruptly changed directions and ran out of Stiles’ view.    
  
Josh tried to fight Stiles off, but Stiles overpowered him and pinned his arms to the concrete. Josh jerked around wildly, tearing an arm away from Stiles’ grip at one point. Stiles merely grabbed it and slammed it down on the ground again. Stiles growled and stared at Josh, whose eyes were glowing ember orange. Stiles narrowed his eyes and growled louder, his anger building.   
  
_Blood trailing the bullet as it exited from the back of his head, Stiles saw it all. The body thudding on the grass. The smoke slowly smoking away from the barrel of the gun. That evil grin. Those orange eyes._   
  
Josh tried one more time, putting all of his strength behind this last attempt. He buckled his body and Stiles went along for the ride, but Stiles managed to stay on and then he clamped down, pinning Josh hard. This time, Stiles didn’t hesitate. Josh tucked his chin in, but it was pointless. Stiles dug under his chin and opened his mouth. His teeth broke through skin, muscle, and bone.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Boomer went to help Josh fight Stiles, but then he heard a familiar scream. He looked away from Josh and Stiles, and saw one of the Hale Betas slam Jasmine on the ground. He changed directions in an instant, running for Jasmine. The Beta raised his hand up high.  
  
 _ **NO**_  
  
Boomer ran past Johnny and Derek, distracting Johnny just long enough for Derek to pick up and toss him away. He hit the tar of the road hard, adding scrapes to his already extensive injury list.   
  
Boyd never saw him coming. Boomer hit Boyd so hard he flew, hit the wall head-first, and collapsed. He wasn’t moving. Boomer scrambled back to where Jasmine was and snarled at anyone who considered coming close.   
  
Then a howl pierced the air and everyone froze. Boomer looked back at Josh and Stiles, only to find half of Josh’s neck missing. Stiles was above him, blood drenching the fur around his mouth and neck, howling.  
  
Stiles stopped howling and a blissful silence fell. Everyone’s eyes were on Stiles’ ultraviolet eyes.  
  
After a minute of nothingness, Boomer shifted back to human and hovered over Jasmine. “Are you okay?”  
  
Jasmine nodded, wiping the blood off her mouth. “Yeah, I think I’ll be fine.”  
  
The eyes of one of the Betas turned orange as he took over Josh’s role. He stiffened up, looking at Boomer then at Johnny, who also shifted back to human. Derek and Stiles both stared at the new Alpha, Derek baring his teeth and growling softly.   
  
The new Alpha gave Boomer an awkward smile then bolted. He ran for the treeline, not even bothering to look back. Most of the Betas hesitated, waiting on Boomer and Johnny, but several of them followed the Alpha, disappearing into the woods.  
  
Boomer’s eyes fell upon the dead bodies surrounding him. There were so many, and most of them were werewolves on his side. His own Betas. He didn’t understand how. They had numbers. Five packs. Five Alphas.   
  
What did Beacon Hills have? A single pack. Two Alphas. A bunch of hunters. That’s it.  
  
But they lost.  
  
Melly was dead. The pink eyes Brandon had meant Aden was dead too. And he was with Zoe in the hospital, where Hale was. Brandon’s here, Hale’s here, and Zoe’s not, which meant Zoe was dead. So was Josh.  
  
They had truly lost.  
  
Derek and Stiles inched closer to Boomer, their mouths twisted into ugly snarls. Boomer put himself between them and his sister and said, “You’ve won. You can do whatever you want to me, but please... let my sister go.”  
  
“Marcus, what --”  
  
“Shut _up,_ Jasmine. Please, let her go. Don’t make her pay for my mistakes. Please.”  
  
Chris broke away from the group he was in, limping toward Boomer. “Why the hell should we even listen to you? You killed my daughter.”  
  
Stiles did not miss the flinch Victoria gave, nor the anger that rolled off her.   
  
“In case you didn’t notice,” Boomer replied coldly, “I’ve lost at least half my pack. Don’t bitch to me about the loss of a single person.”  
  
Chris’ face hardened and his fists were shaking. “You piece of shit, --”  
  
“Stop,” Stiles said, in his human form. Chris stopped, but kept his eyes on Boomer. Stiles resumed, “You lost a lot of people, but so did we. Allison wasn’t the only one you guys killed. Look at the uniforms around you. Look at how many cops died defending this town. You killed them all. You killed my father.”  
  
Boomer clenched his jaw.   
  
“Don’t act like you’ve suffered more than we have,” Stiles snapped. “ _You_ attacked us, not the other way. You’ve got some nerve asking us for mercy.”  
  
Boomer’s gaze landed on Johnny, who was looking at him with fear in his eyes. Boomer closed his eyes and exhaled.   
  
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”  
  
Stiles looked at Derek, who was now standing next to Stiles. Derek nodded and moved toward Boomer. Then, he spoke.  
  
“Stiles’ right, mercy is the last thing you should be asking of us. However, we’re not like you all. We’re not evil. If we see you,” Derek said. He looked over at Johnny and added, “Or _you_ , or any of your men again, we will kill you. Do I make myself clear?”  
  
Boomer swallowed and nodded. Johnny gaped at Derek.  
  
“Get the fuck out of Beacon Hills, and don’t ever come back.”  
  
The remaining Betas went straight for the woods. Johnny went over to Boomer and helped Boomer and Jasmine up and the three of them walked away. Derek and Stiles stared at them until Johnny stopped and turned, just shy of the treeline.  
  
“Hey... you two,” Johnny said. “How do you two do it?”  
  
Stiles raised an eyebrow. “Do what?”  
  
“You’re both Alphas, right? How does it work? Being mates? The struggle has to...,” Johnny trailed off.  
  
Stiles shrugged. He looked at Derek and said, “I don’t know. I may be an Alpha, but I’m not _the_ Alpha. He is.”  
  
Johnny nodded softly then disappeared into the woods with Boomer and Jasmine. Derek and Stiles remained glued, staring at the treeline until the presence of the other Alphas disappeared. Derek turned to face his pack and said, “Someone check on Boyd.”   
  
Finstock and Erica ran over to the unconscious Boyd and Erica tried to slap Boyd awake, but Boyd didn't react.   
  
“Everyone else okay?” Derek asked.  
  
“Yeah, I think so,” Scott said. Danny was kneeling by Jackson and Lydia, both lying on the ground, exhausted. Brandon was glued to Danny, of course. Isaac stood in front of them, next to Chris, Victoria, and Dr. Deaton. Melissa was sitting on the floor, looking over Jackson, Lydia, and Scott’s wounds. The Winchesters and Castiel were all standing behind the bunch, looking at each other.  
  
Derek exhaled, satisfied that his pack was going to be okay. Then, he looked at Stiles. The moment their eyes connected, Stiles broke down. Derek had to scramble to catch him before he hit the ground, tears flowing freely. He clutched onto Derek tightly and cried.   
  
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Derek whispered. Stiles’ face was buried into Derek’s neck and he could feel Stiles’ tears on his skin. “You’re going to be okay.”  
  
“My Dad,” Stiles mumbled, his voice so quiet Derek barely heard him. Derek tightened his grip around Stiles and then Stiles started shaking, gasping for air.  
  
“Stiles, please, listen to me,” Derek begged. “Listen to me. You’re going to be fine. Breathe, take a deep breath.”  
  
Derek never heard her coming; somehow Melissa was kneeling by them, rubbing her hand on Stiles’ back. “Stiles,” Melissa said. “You need to breathe. Take in a deep breath, _now_ ,” she commanded. Stiles’ chest expanded and air rushed into his lungs.  
  
“Good, now exhale through your nose, slowly.”  
  
Slowly, Stiles exhaled, and the shaking slowed down.   
  
“That’s right. Just keep doing that, Stiles,” Melissa said, looking at Derek. Derek mouthed, _Thank you_ , and Melissa nodded. “Keep breathing,” Melissa said and Stiles did just that. Derek held him through every breath he took, kissing the top of his head softly.   
  
Near the wall of the building, Boyd stirred after another slap. Erica smiled and said, “Welcome back.”  
  
“What happened?” Boyd asked, groaning and rubbing the back of his head. Erica laughed and said, “We won.”  
  
“Oh, awesome,” Boyd said. “Can I go back to sleep now?”  
  
Erica grinned, but Melissa’s voice boomed, “Absolutely not. You might have a concussion.”  
  
Boyd groaned and Erica giggled. Finstock and Erica helped Boyd sit upright and Boyd leaned against the wall, giving him a good view at everything.  
  
“Wow,” was all Boyd could come up with. Erica nodded sadly and sat down with Boyd, their shoulders touching. They watched Castiel walk through the chaos, looking at the dead bodies. Castiel cocked his head as he hovered over one of the dead officers, seemingly analyzing him.   
  
Dean watched Castiel with a warm smile, his mind replaying the kiss Castiel gave him before the explosion and the words God told him before he woke up in the gym. Trying to figure out if the two were connected.  
  
Sam saw Dean’s face; he saw the smile in both his mouth and his eyes. He grinned and wrapped his arm around Dean’s shoulders and squeezed. Dean looked at him and narrowed his eyes.   
  
“What?”  
  
“Nothing,” Sam said, grinning. “Nothing.”  
  
Dean gave him the stink eye, but also chuckled. Sam waggled his eyebrows and jerked his head at Castiel. Dean groaned and jabbed his elbow into Sam’s ribs playfully, then looked at Castiel. He was crouching over the officer. He placed two fingers on the officer’s forehead. The officer’s eyes flew open and he gasped then choked on air, gulping in fresh air his lungs needed.  
  
Everyone’s eyes fell upon Castiel.  
  
“Dude! You got your mojo back,” Dean said. Castiel smiled and said, “Yes, I have my grace again.”  
  
“What the _hell_ ,” Chris said, staring at the not-dead officer. “How did you do that?”  
  
Castiel furrowed his forehead and said, “I told you, I am an Angel of the Lord.”  
  
“Yeah! I saw your wings,” Stiles said quickly, picking his head up off of Derek’s shoulder. “When you arrived, I saw them. They were so beautiful.”  
  
“That’s not possible,” Castiel said, frowning. “My true form does not exist in this dimension. Even if it had, your eyeballs would have been burnt up if you ever gazed upon my true form.”  
  
Stiles gaped at Castiel. “Well, I saw them. I’ll never forget that.”  
  
Castiel’s eyebrows were practically an unibrow at this point, scrunched so close to each other. The officer next to him held his hand up and Castiel looked at it. He gripped it and raised him off the ground and the officer’s legs shook a bit before steadying. “Holy shit,” the officer said. Castiel moved on to the next officer and revived him.  
  
Stiles jumped up so fast, Derek nearly got whiplash. “Stiles, what --”  
  
“Castiel. My Dad, please. Bring him back. _Please_.”  
  
“Where is he?”  
  
“He’s over there,” Stiles said, pointing toward the lacrosse field. “At the field. Please.”  
  
Stiles was already running toward where his father was, glancing back at Castiel. Then, Castiel wasn’t there. Stiles’ eyes widened and he looked around until he found him standing by the Sheriff. Castiel looked at him then leaned down, and pressed two fingers into his forehead.   
  
_thump-thump_  
  
Stiles let out a gasp of joy when he heard his father’s heartbeat resume. The Sheriff’s body jerked as his muscles woke up and he gasped, taking in several deep breaths.  
  
Stiles ran even harder and before the Sheriff could even get up, Stiles’ arms were wrapped around him, his tears falling once again.  
  
“Son,” the Sheriff muttered. “You realize you’re naked?”


	20. Back to Normal

# Chapter Nineteen

  
“Seriously, Dad?” Stiles snorted. “I had to watch you die and then a fucking _angel_ brings you back to life, and that’s the first thing you say?”   
  
The Sheriff nodded and said, “Yeah. You’re naked. You need clothes.”   
  
“I don’t care,” Stiles said, laughing and crying. Derek could feel all the anger and despair from Stiles just simply disappear. Happiness was all that existed now. Tension Derek didn’t realize he still had evaporated and he relaxed, smiling.   
  
“Thank you, Castiel,” Stiles said. Castiel smiled at him, then went back to reviving the other officers. Stiles helped the Sheriff up and rolled his eyes when the Sheriff peeled his jacket off and gave it to him.    
  
“Cover yourself up, please.” Then, he said, “What about the Alphas? Everything? What happened?”   
  
“It’s over,” Stiles replied, wrapping the jacket around his waist. “They’re either dead or gone. We won.”   
  
“Oh,” the Sheriff replied. “That’s good.”   
  
A wall of water covered Melissa’s eyes and she laughed, a tear falling. She exhaled and hugged her son tightly.   
  
“Ow, ow, Mom, ow! I haven’t healed yet,” Scott cried. “Mom!”   
  
“But you _will_ heal,” Melissa replied. “I’m just so glad you’re okay.”   
  
“Castiel,” Chris said. He cleared his throat and said, “Could you also bring Allison back?” Castiel could hear the hope in his words. He could see the desperation in Victoria’s eyes, standing behind him.    
  
“Please?” Chris added.   
  
Castiel dropped his gaze. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”   
  
Stunned, Chris stared at Castiel. “Wh-- Why not?”   
  
“I am a soldier of Heaven. When humans die, they go to Heaven, most of the time anyway. Retrieving their souls is easy. When supernatural creatures die, however, they go to Purgatory. I have no power in Purgatory. I can’t retrieve her soul. I’m sorry.”   
  
Chris’ mouth hung open, but no sound came out. Behind him, Victoria stiffened, her lips pushed together into a thin line. Melissa pulled Scott closer, his head resting on her breasts, and murmured her apologies into his ear.   
  
Chris faced Victoria and the two of them looked at each other. No words passed, until Victoria finally said, “Let’s just go home.”   
  
Chris grimaced. “We don’t have a home anymore. They blew it up.” Victoria stared at him, as if she didn’t understand what he just said. “That’s why they were at our place, they were planting bombs. Our home is gone.”   
  
“You can stay at our place,” the Sheriff said as he approached the Argents. “It’s the least I can do.”   
  
“No thanks,” Victoria said quickly. “We’ll get a hotel room.”   
  
The Sheriff nodded. “Okay. I’ll make sure they don’t charge you. Miller? Could you drive them over to the hotel?”   
  
Miller nodded and led Victoria and Chris to his patrol car. The Sheriff followed them and watched them leave. Stiles came up to him and said, “Can we go home now?”   
  
“I can’t. I need to clean this mess up. You go home, though.”   
  
“I can help with the --”   
  
“No, Stiles,” the Sheriff said. “Go home. You’ve already done enough.”   
  
“Okay,” Stiles said. He looked at Derek, who joined them, and the two of them walked toward their cars. Then Derek paused and turned back. “Hey, Castiel? There’s more dead people over at the hospital. Could you --”   
  
“Yes, I will,” Castiel said and disappeared.    
  
Derek nodded and gestured to his pack and said, “Come on.”   
  
Finstock helped Erica get Boyd back on his feet then said, “It’s been a honor serving with you guys. I’ll head home to my wife and kids now.”   
  
“You have a wife?” Jackson asked.   
  
“You have kids?” Scott asked.   
  
“Of course I do,” Finstock said. “What, have you never noticed them in the stands at the games?”   
  
“No,” they both said in unison, looking at each other.   
  
“Well, that’s probably because I don’t have a wife or kids,” Finstock replied, casually strolling to his car.    
  
Jackson narrowed his eyes at Finstock and Scott and Danny laughed. Boyd, Erica, and Isaac headed over to Stiles’ Jeep while Danny helped Jackson and Lydia up. Lydia stared at Brandon.   
  
“Who’s this kid?”   
  
“Danny’s mate,” Jackson said, smirking at Danny. Danny went red and muttered, “Uhh, yeah I guess he is.”   
  
“He’s cute,” Lydia said. She wrapped her hand around Brandon’s and said, “Let’s go.”   
  
Finally, Brandon smiled and it practically broke Danny. He grinned and grabbed Brandon’s other hand and they guided him over to Jackson’s Porsche. Scott was the last one to leave, lingering around his mother.   
  
“Oh, would you just get lost already,” Melissa said fondly. “I’ll be fine. Go be with them.”   
  
Scott grinned and followed Jackson into the parking lot and hopped into Derek’s Camaro. The Sheriff and Melissa watched the three cars leave the parking lot.    
  
“Need us to help?”   
  
“No, we’ve got it. Thanks for the help, gentlemen,” the Sheriff said.   
  
“No problem,” Sam replied. “I think we’ll hang around here for a bit. Got a hotel to recommend?”   
  
The Sheriff tossed Sam his house keys. “You guys can stay at my place. Real beds, real food. Better than a hotel, right?”   
  
“Hell yeah. Have you guys got pie?”    
  
Sam groaned and rolled his eyes. Dean cackled and smacked Sam’s back. “We’ll just pick up some on the way, then. Think the grocery store’s open?”   
  
Castiel appeared a few feet away, looking grim. Dean said, “What’s wrong, Cas?”   
  
“Sheriff, I’m sorry. There were a few people I couldn’t bring back. Their souls must have gone to Hell.”   
  
“Shit,” the Sheriff said. “Where are the bodies?”   
  
“Most of them are at the hospital. There’s several in the woods, I can show you where they are.”   
  
“I think I know where they are,” the Sheriff said. “Thanks, Castiel.”   
  
Castiel and the Winchesters left, their Impala speeding away..   
  
The Sheriff sighed and Melissa wrapped herself around his arm. He stared at the chaos in front of them; at the body parts strewn across the area and the blood staining the concrete.    
  
“I don’t even know where to start,” the Sheriff said. Melissa sighed and Dr. Deaton said, “I must admit, I’m glad I’m not you right now.”   
  
The Sheriff smiled and shook Dr. Deaton’s hand when he extended it. “I’m glad you’re alive,” Dr. Deaton said. “This town needs its Sheriff.”   
  
“Thanks, Alan,” the Sheriff replied. Dr. Deaton smiled and left, leaving the Sheriff alone with Melissa and his officers.    
  
“I didn’t want to burden Stiles or the pack with this,” the Sheriff said. “They’ve gone through a lot. But, I think we do need help with this.”   
  
Miller replied, “What about the other residents? The ones that wanted to help, but didn’t want to be in the fight? Think they can handle this?”   
  
The Sheriff shrugged. “Only one way to find out.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
_A few days later_   
  
  
The Sheriff stood in front of a podium, staring at the microphone in front of him. He was standing in between two coffins, one with a picture of Allison Argent next to it. The other coffin was accompanied by a picture of Mathieu Rodriguez.   
  
The Sheriff cleared his throat.   
  
“Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming,” the Sheriff began. He glanced over to the seats in front of him. There was a passage in the middle of the seats, splitting them in half. On one side, Chris and Victoria sat on the first two chairs. They were both wearing all black and Victoria had dark sunglasses covering her eyes. The Sheriff could see the glow of her eyes through them, however, and it sent shivers crawling down his spine.   
  
Next to Victoria was an empty seat belonging to the Sheriff. Then, there was Stiles, Derek, Scott, and Melissa. Behind them, the rest of the pack sat.    
  
They were hardly the only ones there however. Every other officer that survived the fight were sitting on the first two rows of the seats on the other side. Practically every Beacon Hills resident sat behind the officers and the pack.   
  
“As you all know, we’ve been through something terribly tragic. We fought for our lives. We fought for our homes. Some of us have sacrificed a lot, but nobody has sacrificed more than the two that lay beside me.   
  
“I’ve known Mathieu Rodriguez for a very long time. He joined the force pretty early in his life, and until all of this happened, it was all he knew. When he discovered about the approaching danger, he faced it. He didn’t run away. A lot of people would, if they were in his shoes. Some did.   
  
“Instead, he asked questions. He did what he thought was necessary to protect this town. He fought to protect all of you. He gave his life so someone else could survive,” the Sheriff said, his eyes landing on Lydia, who was openly weeping.    
  
“Mathieu Rodriguez was a hero. A true hero.”   
  
The officers started applauding, some of them wiping their tears away. The rest of the town joined them, but the pack didn’t. They would mourn their own way later.   
  
The Winchesters and Castiel stood a bit away from the funeral, Dean leaning against a tree. None of them said a word; they listened.   
  
After the applause had died out, the Sheriff continued.   
  
“Mathieu was not the only hero. I didn’t know her very well, but Allison Argent meant a lot to my son and to his friends. She meant a lot to her family. Like Mathieu, Allison chose to take action to protect this town. She chose to become the very thing she had been raised to hunt, and she did it for this town. For all of us.   
  
“I can’t imagine how difficult this decision must have been. She chose her love for the people of this town. She chose to try her best to protect you all, and she did just exactly that. Allison Argent was only seventeen years old, but she was the bravest person I have ever met. Because of her, people are alive,” the Sheriff said. This time, he was looking at Scott. The sunlight reflected off Scott’s eyes and that, coupled with the water that had filled them, made Scott’s eyes very shiny.    
  
“The eleven people we buried earlier were all victims of this tragedy and they will be missed. These two, however,” the Sheriff said, pointing at the coffins next to him with open hands, “will be buried as heroes. They will be remembered by this town, always. And they will be loved, always, because they gave their lives for this town.   
  
“Thank you, Allison Argent and Mathieu Rodriguez. We’ll never forget you two.”   
  
The Sheriff stepped off the podium and went to his seat. The pastor took over and added a few words to the Sheriff’s. As the pastor spoke, Chris and Victoria got up. They walked over to Allison’s coffin and stood by for a few minutes, whispering. The pack went out of their way to avoid eavesdropping; it was the least they could do.    
  
After Chris and Victoria were done, they left the funeral. The pack got up and surrounded Allison’s coffin. Scott was the first to rest his hand on the coffin, and everyone else followed.   
  
“I’ll miss you, always,” Scott said.   
  
After a few minutes of silence, they moved over to Matt’s coffin and repeated the same process. This time, it was Lydia who spoke.   
  
“Thank you, Matt,” Lydia whispered, her tears hitting the wood and sliding down the side. Jackson pulled Lydia close and they walked away. The rest of the pack followed, Derek and Stiles bringing up the rear, their fingers entwined.   
  
The Sheriff was with Melissa, both of them watching them leave. Melissa sighed and said, “I don’t know what to do with Scott. Nothing I can say or do will make him feel better.”   
  
The Sheriff nodded. “I know the feeling. Stiles’ the same. If there’s one thing that I’ve noticed, it’s that their moods lift when they’re together, the pack, I mean. I think it’s a bond we’ll never understand.”   
  
“I’ll tell you one thing,” Melissa replied, “I’ll be grilling Dr. Deaton for everything he knows about them.”   
  
The Sheriff chuckled. “That’s a great idea.”   
  
Smiling for the first time in days, the Sheriff and Melissa leaned against each other and watched the pack climb into their cars and leave. Finstock tapped on the Sheriff’s shoulder and the Sheriff turned.    
  
“Coach,” the Sheriff greeted.    
  
“Sheriff,” Finstock replied. “I’m sorry. About, everything.”   
  
“Yeah, me too.”   
  
Finstock nodded and gave them a small but warm smile. As Finstock was walking away, Melissa shouted, “You’re going to be there tonight, right?”   
  
“Yeah,” Finstock replied. “Seven o’clock, Hale house. I’ll be there.”   
  
Melissa exhaled. She and the Sheriff hung around until everyone had left the funeral. Once the last car departed, Melissa turned to the Sheriff.   
  
“I’m actually surprised the Argents were okay with burying Allison here. I thought they’d want her next to her aunt.”   
  
“I think it was more because of the pack than the Argents,” the Sheriff replied. “Derek said he has money. He paid for everything and he said this was where the pack was buried. He wouldn’t budge and neither would the pack. It’s weird, but the Argents gave in pretty quickly, especially Chris.”   
  
Melissa nodded. “It makes sense, anyway doesn’t it? It feels _right_ , somehow.”   
  
“Yeah, it does,” the Sheriff said. He took Melissa’s hand and they walked away together.    
  
The first tombstone they passed after Allison’s coffin bore the name, _Laura Hale_.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
A huge bonfire was roaring in the backyard of the Hale house. The pack was there, but they weren’t the only one. The Sheriff, Melissa, Dr. Deaton, the officers, and several of the braver town residents were there, as well as the Winchesters and Castiel. One of the officers had brought his grill over and he and his family were flipping burgers, laughing and talking.    
  
Scott was standing next to Stiles, taking in the conversations around them. Laughter rang through the air. They could detect relief and exhaustion in everyone’s voices.    
  
Scott frowned.   
  
“What’s wrong?”   
  
“I don’t know. This just... feels wrong.”   
  
Stiles sighed. “Scott, I know. I know Allison meant a lot to you, and it’s okay to be upset. They need this, though. They’ve seen a lot. Most of them died. It’s over, and they’re here, they’re alive. I don’t blame them for wanting to live a little.”   
  
“I know, I’m not saying they should stop,” Scott said. “I just can’t, though. I can’t be happy that I’m alive, and she’s not.”   
  
“Then be happy that this is over, that nobody else is dead. We won. We’re alive. Your mom’s alive.”   
  
Scott looked at Stiles for a bit before nodding and saying, “You’re right. Speaking of Mom, she and your dad...”   
  
“I know, Scott. I know,” Stiles chuckled.   
  
Scott paused for a second and his eyes wandered as he thought something over. Then, he said, “About time, right?”   
  
Stiles barked out a laughter and said, “Yeah, Scott. About time.” Scott smiled and looked over to where the Sheriff and Melissa were standing by the bonfire. They were with Dr. Deaton and Officer Miller, talking.    
  
“Oh! Stiles,” the Sheriff shouted. “Where’s Derek?”   
  
“I’m right here,” Derek said, emerging from the house.    
  
“Derek, I spoke with the agency. Managed to convince them, but it wasn’t easy. You’re now the official guardian of Isaac Lahey and Brandon Kiziwi. The caseworker will still stop by pretty often and well...”   
  
“What?”   
  
“At the very least, you’re going to have to find a place for them to live. Not here.”   
  
“Yeah, I know,” Derek said. “I’ll rent a place until the rebuilding’s done.”   
  
“You’re rebuilding the house?”   
  
“Yeah.”   
  
“How -- oh right,” the Sheriff said. “The inheritances.”   
  
Derek nodded then went over to where Stiles was, standing so close they were practically a single person. Isaac was sitting on a chair next to Scott, grinning happily at the news. Danny and Lydia were talking with their parents, Brandon and Jackson lingering behind them.    
  
Jackson’s parents refused to come. Erica’s mother told her that she could still stay with her, but they weren’t on speaking terms anymore. Boyd’s parents had been at the bonfire briefly, but they left. Castiel tried to bring Brandon's parents back, but they remained dead.   
  
“Guys! It’s time, let’s go.”   
  
Danny, Lydia, Jackson, and Brandon quickly rejoined the group. Erica and Boyd appeared from nowhere, holding hands. Derek did a mental count and then ushered the pack toward the forest. Derek looked back and saw Finstock watching.   
  
“You want to come with us?”   
  
“I’m not really a part of the pack, though. This is a pack thing, right?”   
  
“Yeah,” Derek replied. “It’s also a werewolf thing. You don’t have to be pack to come with us for this.”    
  
Finstock nodded then joined the group. Stiles and Derek stripped their clothes and shifted into their Alpha forms and took off into the woods. The rest of the pack following closely, Brandon in his Beta form instead of his Alpha.    
  
“No, Greenberg! You’re not a werewolf, you stay behind,” Finstock shouted before disappearing, everyone watching them leave. Sam and Dean chuckled; they were standing next to the grill, waiting for their burgers.    
  
“Hey Dean, where’s Cas?”   
  
“I think he’s over at the car. Thinking about stuff, I guess.”   
  
Sam nodded slowly, staring at Dean. Dean looked behind him and said, “What? What’s it?”   
  
Sam rolled his eyes. “Seriously, Dean? You guys have been dancing around each other ever since he came back.”   
  
“What are you talking about?” Dean said. “We’re not --”   
  
“The sexual tension is killing me, Dean. Go _talk_ to him.”   
  
“Sam --”   
  
“Damn it, Dean. For once, stop being thick-headed. I know you’re allergic to feelings. Just go talk to him anyway,” Sam said, shoving at Dean. “I’ll save you guys a burger. Two, for Cas, actually.”   
  
“Fine,” Dean said, rolling his eyes. He set out toward the Impala.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
This was stupid. So stupid.    
  
Dean had fought and killed so many terrifying creatures. Werewolves (obviously), wendigos, demons, angels, ghosts, et cetera. When he faced them, he was fearless. He executed what he needed to do; he did what the job required.    
  
Maybe he had the help of God, but at the end of all of those fights, he stood alive. Powerful.    
  
Right now, he felt the exact opposite. He was _nervous_. He had butterflies in his stomach, which was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in ages. Not even when he had to face Lucifer.    
  
Exhaling nervously, he approached the Impala.    
  
Castiel was sitting on the trunk, staring into the starry sky. His elbows were on his knees, his fingers entwined. He looked over at Dean when he took the spot next to him.   
  
“Hello, Dean.”   
  
“Hey, Cas.”   
  
Silence. Dean fumbled over the words he wanted to say. Different words formed on the tip of his tongue, only to be discarded before his voice could convey them to Castiel. After the silence stretched for minutes, Dean sighed and buried his face into his hands.   
  
“What’s wrong, Dean?”   
  
Dean rubbed his temples and then met Castiel’s eyes. For a second, he forgot about his bundle of nerves. Castiel’s sapphire eyes was curious and questioning; concerned. But it was also soft and relaxing, and Dean felt the nervousness within dissipate.   
  
“When you died back there... did you see God? Talk to him?”   
  
Castiel frowned. “No, I haven’t seen God.”   
  
“Oh. Well, I did, and --”   
  
Dean stopped after Castiel’s eyes widened and a sea of white surrounded the blue, and Dean had to remind himself to inhale. Breathing was important.   
  
“What?”   
  
“Yeah, I spoke to God. It was a weird conversation, but... he told me to ask you something.”   
  
Castiel narrowed his eyes, his eyebrows creeping closer.    
  
“God said that he was happy that you were going out on your own. Being independent. Whatever he called it. He said he wanted angels to do that.”   
  
“That can’t be true. Lucifer --”   
  
“Yeah, he mentioned Lucifer too. He said that Lucifer was the first one to think for himself. But he also said that Lucifer misunderstood him.”   
  
“Misunderstood? I was there. He said that we should embrace --”   
  
“Cas,” Dean interrupted. “I don’t even care what he said. I’m sure it was awesome and all. What I’m saying is, God said Lucifer misunderstood him, but _you_ didn’t.”   
  
Castiel’s face distorted through surprise and then confusion.   
  
“I don’t understand.”   
  
“When God told me he didn’t say to love humanity, he said to love _humans_ , I asked him what the difference was. He told me to ask you.”   
  
The confusion on Castiel’s face deepened for a few seconds before it abruptly disappeared, replaced by understanding. Dean’s eyebrows shot up.   
  
“Cas?” Dean asked hopefully. “What did he mean?”   
  
“I... understand,” Castiel said cryptically.    
  
Dean groaned in exasperation and asked again, “Cas?”   
  
“God doesn’t want us to love all of you,” Castiel whispered, his eyes on the ground. “Only certain ones.”   
  
After an internal struggle, Dean’s curiosity won. “Which ones?”   
  
“I don’t know,” Castiel replied. “I can’t speak for the other angels.”   
  
“Speak for yourself then,” Dean said.    
  
Castiel exhaled and met Dean’s eyes. “You.”   
  
“Me?” Dean whispered. Castiel nodded slowly. Neither of them spoke for a while; they stared at each other’s eyes instead.   
  
Then, Dean broke the silence. Whispering, Dean said, “I love you too. I don’t know why I didn’t realize it until now, but I do. I can’t live without Sam, he’s my life... but, so are you. I can’t live without you, either. When you walked into that water and the leviathans burst out of you... I was lost. I thought I had lost you again.”   
  
A single tear fell.   
  
“I love you, Cas,” Dean whispered. He slid his hand around the back of Castiel’s neck and pulled him closer. Their lips met and the butterflies in Dean’s stomach returned in full force. Dean moaned as Castiel took control of the kiss, his tongue invading Dean’s mouth. The force of the kiss pushed Dean flat on his back, his head resting on the windshield. Castiel moved so he was on top of Dean, their lips wet and hungry.    
  
Castiel finally came up for air, leaving both of them panting.   
  
“Fuck, Meg was right. A _plus_.”   
  
Castiel grinned. Dean balled Castiel’s trenchcoat into his fists and pulled him down, their kiss deepening.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
“Why didn’t we bring marshmallows?”   
  
The Sheriff smiled and hung his arm around Melissa and said, “That’s a good question.”   
  
The Sheriff and Melissa gazed at the fire, Melissa’s head on the Sheriff’s shoulder. She turned to look at the Sheriff and he responded with a raised eyebrow. Melissa smiled and leaned over to kiss him. The Sheriff smiled after the kiss broke and Melissa grinned and dropped her head back on his shoulder.   
  
Sam popped up next to them, munching on a cheeseburger. “Hey, Sheriff,” he muttered, his mouth full of food.    
  
“Sam,” the Sheriff said. “Where’s Dean and Castiel?”   
  
“Uhh, they’re... Um. Talking?”   
  
The Sheriff raised an eyebrow but didn’t press on. “Alright. Sam, thank you for helping us out. You guys didn’t have to do that, but, thank you.”   
  
Sam nodded. “It’s what we do.”   
  
“How long have you been doing what you guys do, anyway?” Melissa asked. Sam smiled, but there was a sadness to it. “My entire life, and I mean that literally. A demon killed my mother when I was six months old. Dean was four. My Dad, he just... broke down, I guess. He devoted his life searching for that demon, and we just came along for the ride.”   
  
The Sheriff looked at Sam blankly. Melissa looked pained, but she asked, “Did he ever find him? The demon?”   
  
“No,” Sam said. “But, we did. We found him. Dean actually used the Colt to kill him.”   
  
Melissa nodded and said, “Good. I hope you two will be able to have a normal life someday. You guys deserve it.”   
  
Sam laughed. “Oh, we’ve tried several times. I don’t think it’ll ever happen. I think we’re going to keep hunting until we die and _stay_ dead. It’s just who we are, I guess.”   
  
“That’s terrible,” Melissa said.    
  
“Yeah, I know,” Sam said. The three of them watched the fire in silence. Dr. Deaton was on the other side of the fire, conversing quietly with Ms. Morell. Some of the officers joined the Sheriff at the fire and stood there, just watching the fire burn.    
  
A howl pierced the night, and everyone looked at the woods.   
  
“It’s starting,” Dr. Deaton said.   
  
A second howl joined the first, then a third, and then more joined in, a chorus of howls. Melissa could tell which one was her son; his howl sounded so sad. They all stood there frozen, listening. The howls lasted for several minutes before they finally died out.   
  
“That was beautiful,” Melissa said, wiping a tear away.   
  
“This one should be for Rodriguez,” Dr. Deaton said as Derek howled again, setting off another chorus. Goosebumps spread across Sam’s arms and crept up his neck and he had to rub his neck to squash it.    
  
Melissa closed her eyes and dropped her head on the Sheriff’s shoulder again. The howls rang through her ears and she sighed. After it ended again, she said, “That was beautiful, but I hope we never have to hear it again.”   
  
The Sheriff nodded in agreement and pulled Melissa closer. Dr. Deaton said his goodbyes and left, followed by Ms. Morell. Dr. Deaton’s departure broke the dam; people started leaving, and soon, the only ones left was the Sheriff, Melissa, the Winchesters and Castiel. The pack still hadn’t returned.   
  
“I think I’m going to go home,” Melissa said.   
  
“I’ll drive you home,” the Sheriff said, and they left together, leaving Sam alone at the fire. He peered over to where the Impala was and saw fog covering the windows and he chuckled.    
  
“Finally.”   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The sound of snoring rang through the air, tickling Boomer’s ears. He growled lightly and one of the sleeping werewolves kicked another and the snoring stopped.   
  
“Fucking finally,” the werewolf muttered as he went back to sleep. Johnny was sitting on a branch nearby, watching Boomer. Boomer’s eyes were on the rest of his pack. Jasmine was sleeping at the base of the tree and the rest of the Betas were scattered through the woods. A couple of them were patrolling the perimeter.   
  
Boomer ground his teeth together, his heart still aching. He had lost over half of his pack. After the fight was over and they retreated into the woods, Johnny and Boomer tried to find everyone else, but several remaining werewolves went off on their own, including the Alphas that took over after Zoe and Josh died.    
  
“Boomer?” Johnny whispered.   
  
_Johnny,_ Boomer thought. No matter how much pain he was in, Boomer wasn’t angry. He couldn’t be angry. He had no right. He still had twelve of his own Betas left, including his sister. He still had a pack.   
  
Johnny had just two Betas left. He had nothing left.   
  
If anyone had the right to be angry and upset, it was Johnny, and he wasn’t.   
  
“Boomer?”   
  
Blinking, Boomer looked at Johnny. “Sorry,” he replied. “What’s it?”   
  
“Are you okay?”   
  
Chuckling, Boomer replied, “I don’t think you should be asking me that question. Are _you_ okay?”   
  
Johnny fell silent. Boomer frowned and said, “Johnny, I --”   
  
“I know you said we couldn’t... not until you got your pack to safety,” Johnny interrupted. “And all of this backfired, but...”   
  
“Johnny,” Boomer sighed. Mating was the last thing on his mind. Okay, not really, but it needed to be.   
  
“You saw them. Hale and Stilinski. You heard what they said. We can do it, too.”   
  
“It’s not that easy, Johnny. It’s a lot more complicated than that.”   
  
“No it’s not,” Johnny whispered. “I think it’s obvious which one of us is _the_ Alpha, and it’s not me. I don’t have a pack anymore. What am I supposed to do? Start over? You want me to leave you too? I can’t lose my mate too, Boomer. Please.”   
  
“Johnny,” Boomer said, staring into Johnny’s eyes. “I don’t know --”   
  
“Just say yes already, goddamnit,” a voice from below muttered. Boomer narrowed his eyes and glared at Jasmine. “You’re supposed to be sleeping.”   
  
“I am,” came the reply. A small smile crept across Johnny’s face, but Boomer never saw it. Johnny said, “Boomer. We almost died back there. We _should_ have died. I get it, the pack needs to be safe. I know that feeling. But, it’s not like you’re abandoning them to look for me. We’ve already found each other. I’m _here_. After all the bullshit, _please_ don’t tell me to leave. I won’t, I can’t.”   
  
By the time Johnny was done speaking, his eyes were shining green. Boomer sighed.   
  
“I’d know that sigh anywhere,” Jasmine chimed in. “That’s his ‘okay’ sigh.”   
  
“Shut _up_ , Jasmine,” Boomer growled, but smiled as soon as he heard Jasmine’s laughter. This time, Boomer saw Johnny’s smile, and that was the final straw that broke Boomer’s resolve.   
  
“Okay,” Boomer said.   
  
“Told you so.”   
  
“Jesus, Jasmine,” Boomer rolled his eyes. Johnny was grinning by now, his eyes shining as water filled them. He climbed over onto the big and sturdy branch Boomer was sitting on and sat next to him, their shoulders touching. Hesitantly, Johnny reached over and took Boomer’s hand in his, sighing in relief when Boomer didn’t resist. Their fingers slipped into each other and it felt _right_.   
  
Johnny fell asleep, his head in Boomer’s lap. Boomer couldn’t sleep, so he kept watch over his pack instead.    
  
“You’ve got to sleep eventually,” Jasmine said.   
  
“I know,” Boomer replied. “Not yet, though. We’re not safe.”   
  
“We’re never safe,” Jasmine said, sighing. “Just don’t push him away, Marcus. You’ve taken care of me and of the pack for such a long time. It’s time you cared about your happiness too.”   
  
“Taking care of you guys make me happy,” Boomer protested.   
  
“No, it makes your _wolf_ happy. _You_ consists of your human side too.”   
  
Boomer groaned and then said, “When did you become oh-so _wise_ , Jasmine?”    
  
“When you became the Alpha,” Jasmine said.   
  
Boomer glanced down to the sleeping Johnny and fell deep into his own thoughts.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
The sun’s just barely emerging, but the Winchesters and Castiel are already standing by the Impala, double-checking everything for their departure.    
  
“What about the Colt? Did you get it back from Melissa?”   
  
“Yeah. It’s in the trunk.”   
  
“Okay, then. I think that’s it,” Dean said. He turned to face the pack and grinned. “Well, guys. I’d say we had a great time, but that wouldn’t be right. It was pretty fucked up.”   
  
Derek smirked and Stiles chuckled.    
  
“I’m real glad I met you guys, though. You guys are pretty cool.”   
  
“Yeah,” Sam agreed. “It’s nice to have people you can call friends again.”   
  
“You’ve got our number,” Stiles said. “Call us whenever.”   
  
“Yeah, we will,” Sam said. Lydia was the first one to step forward and spread her arms wide. Sam smiled and hugged her and then Jackson joined in, hugging Dean. The rest of the pack took turns hugging and saying their goodbyes.   
  
When Danny and Castiel got to each other, Danny grinned and said, “I can see you and Dean are happy.”   
  
“Yes,” Castiel said. “We are. Thank you.”   
  
“Me? For what?”   
  
“For what you told me in the woods,” Castiel replied. “About us.”   
  
“Oh right,” Danny said. “You’re welcome.” Castiel smiled then looked at Brandon, who was clinging to Danny as usual. “I think you’ll be happy too.”   
  
Danny nodded slightly and Castiel smiled again before Castiel was swept into a hug by Lydia.    
  
Derek and Dean were the last to hug. They looked at each other awkwardly at first, but then Dean extended his hand and said, “It was nice meeting you, Derek.”   
  
Derek surprised everyone, including Stiles, by bypassing the offered hand and hugging Dean. It was a short and firm but powerful hug.    
  
“You’ll always be pack. We wouldn’t have survived this if it wasn’t for you guys,” Derek said, glancing over at Stiles, who was looking at Dean. “Thank you.”   
  
“Huh, I thought you were emotionally constipated,” Dean commented. Derek narrowed his eyes and glared.    
  
“Ahh, that’s the Derek I know!” Dean said, laughing. After he stopped, he added, “Good to know we’ve got a home if we need one. We’ll call you.”   
  
Derek nodded and took a few steps backwards, giving them the space to leave. The rest of the pack followed suit. Dean pulled the keys out and dangled them in front of Sam and said, “You can drive first.”   
  
Sam froze. He stared at Dean, then narrowed his eyes.    
  
“Hell no.”   
  
“What?”   
  
“I am _not_ driving while you and Cas fuck in the back seat. No. You’re driving.”   
  
“We were not going to --”   
  
“Ugh, Sam. We’re not gonna fuck in front of you, don’t worry. Makeouts, on the other hand...”   
  
Sam rolled his eyes and grabbed the keys. “Cas. I mean it, no fucking.”   
  
“I know, Sam. We’ll wait for the hotel.”   
  
“I am _so_ getting two rooms from now on,” Sam groaned as he hopped into the car. Castiel poofed into the back seat and Dean climbed in.   
  
“Stop whining, bitch. How many times did you get laid while I was stuck in Purgatory?”   
  
“Irrelevant, jerk.”   
  
The engine rumbled and the pack laughed as they watched the Impala leave. They didn’t move until they couldn’t hear the Winchesters’ voices arguing anymore, then they went inside.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Danny was lying on the couch, his legs on Jackson and Lydia’s laps. Brandon was sitting on the floor in front of Danny, his eyes closed and his head resting on Danny’s hip. Danny had a laptop on his stomach and he was typing furiously.   
  
On one side of another couch, Boyd and Erica were sitting together so closely Isaac was left wondering how they were able to breathe. He was on the other side of the couch, plenty of space in between him and the two of them.    
  
“This place needs a TV,” Isaac said. “So we’re not all stuck watching Boyd and Erica make out.”   
  
Erica glared at Isaac and Lydia giggled. “Just watch a movie on the laptop. Danny, give yours up,” Jackson said.   
  
“No,” Danny replied. “Find another one.”   
  
“What the hell are you doing, then?”   
  
“I’m trying to figure out the best way to learn sign language,” Danny said. “I have to teach myself _and_ him. That’s going to be fun.”   
  
“Use mine,” Stiles said, climbing down the stairs with Scott. “It’s in my backpack next to you, Jackson.”   
  
Jackson grabbed Stiles’ backpack and tossed it to Isaac, who caught it.   
  
“Hey! Don’t go throwing my laptop around!”   
  
Jackson shrugged and Isaac dug the laptop out. Opening it, Isaac asked, “Uhh, anyone got a movie?”   
  
“The --”   
  
“ _No,_ Lydia,” Jackson snapped. “We’re not watching the Notebook.”   
  
Lydia pouted and Jackson groaned. Danny stifled a laugh and refocused on his task.    
  
“My mom has Netflix,” Scott said, as he plopped down next to Isaac. “Let me log in, I’ll see what’s available.”   
  
Isaac handed the laptop over to Scott and waited. As Scott scrolled through the options, Stiles entered the kitchen, finding Derek there.   
  
“Hey, Derek.”   
  
Derek looked up from the bowl of cheerios he was eating and waved. Stiles grabbed the spoon and scooped up the cereal and shoved it into his mouth before Derek could protest.    
  
“That’s _my_ breakfast,” Derek said, glaring. Stiles grinned and pecked him on the cheek and went to the refrigerator. Derek came up behind him and pressed his body against Stiles, hugging him and burying his face in his neck. He took in a deep breath through his nose, filling himself with Stiles’ scent, and growled softly. Stiles smiled and said, “We’re gonna be okay, aren’t we? All of us, I mean.”   
  
“Yeah, we’re going to be okay,” Derek said.    
  
“Good,” Stiles said. He turned around to face Derek and said, “I think I’m gonna go home. This is going to sound stupid, but I just need my bed. I need to sleep in there. I need to feel _normal_ , I haven’t in so long.”   
  
“Yeah, I understand,” Derek said. “Go ahead. I’ll be there soon. I’m going to make sure everyone’s okay first.”   
  
“Alright,” Stiles said. He kissed Derek and left the house, ignoring the arguing between the pack over which movie to watch. He got into his Jeep and drove home. Derek’s eyes glowed a soft red as he watched Stiles leave.    
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Chris sighed. Victoria stood in front of the mirror, staring at her own reflection. They had been holed up in the hotel room since the fight ended, barely talking to each other. Victoria was distant often, lost in her own thoughts.    
  
“Victoria?”   
  
Victoria didn’t react. Chris frowned. “Victoria, please, --”   
  
Chris’ cell phone rang. He groaned and picked it off the end table and looked at the caller id. Victoria heard Chris’ heartbeat climb and she turned around.   
  
Closing his eyes, Chris answered the phone. “Gerard.”   
  
“Chris. Please tell me it’s not true.”   
  
Chris stayed silent, looking at a grimacing Victoria.    
  
“It is. First Kate, now Allison. What the fuck is going on?”   
  
“It’s over. It’s handled.”   
  
“No, it’s not handled. If it was handled, it would have never happened. It’s not handled.”   
  
“Gerard --”   
  
“I’ll be there soon.”   
  
Chris groaned when the dial tone chimed. He put the phone back on the table and went over to Victoria, who had gone back to staring at her reflection. Chris didn’t see it until now, but Victoria was tenderly holding a thin knife in her hands. Pain appeared in Chris’ eyes, and he wrapped his arms around Victoria’s waist. Resting his head on her shoulder, he whispered, “I know what you’re thinking.”   
  
Victoria tensed up.    
  
“Especially if Gerard’s coming... I know. I understand,” Chris said. He pulled away from Victoria and turned her around gently and said, “I understand, but please, don’t do it. I already lost Allison, I can’t lose you too. I don’t care what you are, you’re still my wife.    
  
“I love you, Victoria,” Chris said, gazing deeper into Victoria’s eyes. “Do you love me?”   
  
“Of course, Chris,” Victoria replied. “I’ll always love you.”   
  
“Then don’t do it. Allison chose to die for love, but I need you to _live_ for love. For me. Please, I don’t want to be alone. I can’t,” Chris said, his eyes filling up.    
  
Victoria waited a long time before saying, “Okay.”   
  
“Okay what?”   
  
“Okay, I won’t.”   
  
Chris smiled happily and hugged Victoria tightly. Hesitantly returning the hug, Victoria’s face was blank as she recoiled emotionally at the scent of relief that washed over Chris. She dropped her gaze down to the knife that lingered in one of her hands, looking it over as Chris rubbed her back.   
  
If only Chris was a werewolf; he would have been able to detect her lie.   
  


\-----------------------------------

  
Stiles stood at the foot of his bed, staring at it. He wondered when the last time he slept on this bed was. Probably a couple of days ago, but it felt like _ages_. He climbed on the bed on his knees and then plopped against it, bouncing a bit. He scrambled for the pillow and pulled it down, settling his head on it. His legs dangled over the edge.  
  
Letting out a heavy sigh, Stiles closed his eyes.  
  
A minute later, Stiles could feel Derek approaching, so he opened his eyes, turned his head toward the window and waited.  
  
“Hey Derek,” Stiles said as the window opened. Derek slipped into the room and stared at him.  
  
“You sure didn’t wait too long,” Stiles said. Derek said nothing and kept staring. “What?”  
  
“Nothing,” Derek whispered. He climbed onto the bed and wrapped himself around Stiles. Their legs tangled up and half of Derek was on top of Stiles.   
  
“Derek?”  
  
“ _Stiles,_ ” Derek whispered and Stiles’ chest churned. Derek tightened the hold he had around Stiles and Stiles could feel Derek’s cock pressing against his hip. It was getting harder.  
  
“Derek, what are you doing?”  
  
Derek answered with a low growl, his breath brushing against Stiles’ neck.  
  
“No, Derek, we can’t, Dad’s downstairs, we can’t --”  
  
“I don’t care, Stiles. I _need_ you. We haven’t been alone since it ended,” Derek whispered he moved until his hardening cock reached Stiles’ ass. Derek’s chest pressed against Stiles’ back and Stiles groaned, arching toward Derek, desperate to touch more of him.  
  
“I’m so proud of you, Stiles,” Derek said, his mouth inches from Stiles’ ear. “I know it must have been really hard. Fighting. Killing. All the blood. But you did so good. I could _feel_ you. You were amazing.”  
  
“Oh my god, Derek, shut up and fuck me already,” Stiles whimpered and pushed his ass up and Derek pushed down harder, growling.   
  
“Clothes,” Stiles muttered. Derek pulled Stiles up off the bed, took off all of Stiles’ clothes in record time and then shoved Stiles flat against the bed. Derek quickly hopped off the bed to kick off his shoes and strip. Before Derek could get back on the bed, however, Stiles stopped him. He went over to his desk and pulled out the lube and tossed it to Derek. Derek caught it with one hand and grinned.  
  
Stiles jumped back on the bed and grabbed Derek’s face and kissed him quickly before falling back on his stomach, ass sticking out.   
  
“Come on, Derek,” Stiles said. Derek gazed at Stiles’ butt hungrily, watching as Stiles rolled his hips around. A soft growl rumbled in Derek’s throat and he grabbed Stiles’ thighs and picked him up.   
  
“Derek, what the hell are -- oh my _god_ ,” Stiles moaned.  
  
Holding Stiles up by his legs, Derek dove into his ass. He licked around the rim with the tip of his tongue then, with the flat of his tongue, licked from the balls to the top of the crack. He bit down on both cheeks hard, drawing blood and licking them up immediately. A sound came out of his throat when he watched the bite mark heal away.   
  
“ _Derek_ ,” Stiles said. “What the --”  
  
Stiles never finished his sentence. He gasped as Derek’s tongue penetrated his hole. Stiles groaned and pushed himself off the bed with his hands, trying to find a better spot. He ended up shoving his own ass deeper into Derek’s face, if that was even possible. Stiles felt Derek’s teeth rake the skin around the hole as his tongue went even deeper.  
  
“Holy _fuck_ , Derek. What the f-- fuck are you doing, digging to China or s-- something?”   
  
Derek chuckled and wrapped his arms around Stiles’ waist and pulled him up even higher and held him in place. Stiles’ head wasn’t even touching the bed anymore. Instead, Derek’s cock was eye-level.   
  
Derek moaned into Stiles’ hole once he felt the warmth of Stiles’ mouth on his cock. Derek’s knees buckled slightly and rested against the bed and he leaned back slightly so Stiles’ body was resting on his own.   
  
Stiles’ long fingers gripped Derek’s butt cheeks and massaged them as his throat massaged Derek’s cock. Stiles noted that Derek’s cock felt thicker and harder than it usually did, almost as if it was full of _want_. One of his fingers found Derek’s hole and he teasingly grazed over it, and Derek growled approvingly.   
  
Suddenly, they stopped. Stiles might have been feeling a little light-headed, but that wasn’t why. They heard the Sheriff’s footsteps on the stairs. Stiles dropped Derek’s cock from his mouth and listened.  
  
 _knock-knock_  
  
Stiles slapped at Derek’s arms, hissing. Derek let him go and he bounced off the bed once and threw himself against the door, making sure his father couldn’t open it.  
  
“H-- hey Dad, what’s up?”  
  
“Stiles, I’m going down to the station.”  
  
“Alright, Dad. More cleanup?”  
  
“No, I just have some paperwork to do. You two have fun, and be _safe_.”  
  
Stiles scrunched up his forehead and stared at the door. Why did his father emphasize the last word?   
  
Wait.  
  
You _two?_ Be _safe?_  
  
Fuck.  
  
“Oh my god, Dad, I’m so sorry, I know you said we had --”  
  
“Stop, Stiles. It’s fine. I can’t treat you like a child anymore, even if you’re still not eighteen yet. You’ve already proven that you can handle being an adult. You’re my son. I trust you, and I love you. I may not know Derek as well as I’d like to _yet_ , but I can tell he’s got a good soul. I think I can handle my son having sex. I’d just prefer to not be in the house when it happens.”  
  
Stiles gaped at the door that separated the Stilinskis. “Oh. Um, okay. Thank you? I think? I’m not --”  
  
The Sheriff laughed. “We’ll talk more later. See you tonight. I want you at the dinner table too, Derek.”  
  
“Yes sir,” Derek replied.   
  
Stiles kept staring at the door as the Sheriff departed. He didn’t move a muscle until he heard his father get into his car and leave. Turning around, he said, “Oh my god, Derek --”  
  
Derek slammed him against the door and their lips mashed in a wild kiss. Derek licked Stiles’ teeth, lips, tongue, and then bit down on his lower lip and sucked on it. Stiles was barely coherent enough to react, breathing hard when Derek pulled away. Derek slowly walked backwards and picked up the bottle of lube on the bed, his eyes on Stiles’ eyes the entire time.  
  
“Fuck me, Derek,” Stiles whispered. Derek was immediately back on him and this time, he picked Stiles up and pulled his legs around his waist. Stiles didn’t even hear the snap of the bottle of lube as Derek opened it; he was too busy kissing.   
  
Stiles clenched his ass for a quick second the moment Derek slipped a lubed finger up. He relaxed, and it didn’t take too long for Derek to slip in a second finger. Derek rotated his fingers around and spread them, stretching Stiles’ hole. Stiles pushed back against the door and lifted his ass and Derek shoved in a third finger. Stiles bit down on his lip to stop his moan from getting louder.   
  
Derek twisted his fingers around, opening Stiles up, then pulled out. Stiles whimpered at the emptiness until he felt Derek’s cock push at his hole.  
  
“Stiles,” Derek whispered against Stiles’ lips. “ _Fuck_ , Stiles. You’re amazing. You’re...,” Stiles gasped as the head of Derek’s cock pushed into his hole. “... _perfect_ ,” Derek exhaled. Stiles threw his head back and groaned as Derek pushed in deeper. Derek’s eyes widened once he saw how exposed Stiles’ throat was and he immediately latched on.  
  
By the time Derek was fully inside Stiles, Derek had left a deep mark on his throat. He moved on to a new spot and started sucking and biting, creating a new bruise as the first one slowly disappeared.   
  
“Derek, Derek, _Derek,”_ Stiles begged. “Fuck me, _please_.”  
  
Derek was holding Stiles in place, his hands on his ass. Slowly, Derek withdrew from Stiles and, before his cock was completely out of Stiles, he slammed back in, forcing out a small scream from Stiles. Derek did it again - painfully slow coming out, quick and hard going back inside. Stiles gasped every time Derek bottomed out, his hands clenched in Derek’s hair.   
  
After a few minutes, Derek pulled away from the door. Stiles was still impaled on him, his legs locked around Derek’s waist. Stiles stared into Derek’s eyes, at a loss at just how _hungry_ he seemed. Slowly, Derek laid Stiles down on the bed and kissed him, their tongues slowly tasting each other.   
  
Derek shifted his hips around, his cock probing Stiles until he found his prostate. Then, Derek started fucking again, every thrust rubbing against Stiles’ prostate. At first, it was slow, but Derek picked up the pace. The faster he went, the more Stiles tensed up. Derek could see that Stiles was barely holding himself together. His eyes were tightly shut and his head was tilted back, and his arms were outstretched, like he was trying to claw upwards.   
  
Also, he wasn’t making any noises.  
  
“Stiles,” Derek whispered. No reaction, so Derek tried again, “ _Stiles._ ”  
  
Stiles opened his eyes and looked at Derek.   
  
“It’s okay. Your dad’s not home anymore,” Derek said. “Let go,” he said, punctuating each word with a hard thrust.  
  
Finally, Stiles did.  
  
First, it was a gasp as his prostate was hit, then it was another one, then another one. The gap between gasps shortened as Derek fucked him faster and faster.   
  
“D-- Der-- Derek,” Stiles managed to get out before unidentifiable noises started emerging. Derek’s ear was just inches away from Stiles’ mouth and every sound he heard spurned him to pick up his pace. Stiles’ grabbed Derek’s back and dug into his skin, not even realizing his claws were out. Derek groaned and bit down hard on Stiles’ neck, his hips slamming against Stiles.   
  
“ _Oh my god,”_ Stiles screamed, raking his claws down Derek’s back. Blood spilled out and streaked down his back. Derek’s teeth dug deeper into Stiles’ neck as Derek bit down as hard as he could without actually tearing through. Derek sucked at the blood that came out of Stiles’ neck, tasting them and swallowing.   
  
Derek could feel his orgasm approaching, so he detached himself from Stiles’ neck and created a little space between his and Stiles’ bodies. He reached down and took Stiles’ cock into his hand and jerked it. Stiles stopped groaning loudly and instead, his body arched up and he shut his eyes and let out a long stuttering gasp.   
  
“Stiles,” Derek whispered. “Stiles, look at me. _Look at me._ ”  
  
Stiles opened his eyes and looked into Derek’s which were glowing crimson. Stiles moaned out another gasp and his ultraviolet eyes shone. Derek pressed his forehead against Stiles’ and their lips brushed against each other, but they weren’t kissing. Derek kept fucking and fisting Stiles’ cock, and he could feel Stiles’ cock throb.  
  
“Derekderekderek, _please_ , ohmygod, _Derek_ ,” Stiles whispered. Derek growled in response and slammed his hips in and rubbed his cock over Stiles’ prostate.  
  
“Derekderek _deREK_ ,” Stiles screamed as he came violently, his eyes still locked on Derek's. His cock fired volleys of come all over their chests. The sensation of Stiles' orgasm in his hand and the extra tightness of Stiles' ass, plus the bliss of Stiles' wolf inside Derek was enough. The base of Derek’s cock swelled as his knot appeared and Derek pushed in as deep into Stiles as he could.  
  
“ _Stiles_ ,” Derek said, their lips pressed against each other. Stiles bit down on Derek’s lower lip hard enough to draw blood and Derek groaned. His knot fully expanded, Derek shuddered as he filled Stiles up with his come. A sound came out of Stiles that was a mix of a growl, a moan, and a groan; Derek couldn’t tell which, but it was definitely not a sound humans make.  
  
Finally, Derek’s orgasm ended and he broke off the eye contact and collapsed on Stiles, both of them panting. Stiles stroked Derek’s back, his fingers running through beads of sweat and blood. Derek lightly kissed and sucked on the skin of Stiles’ neck as he rocked his hips slowly. One of Stiles’ hands found their way down to Derek’s butt and he grasped it and pulled it toward himself. He buried his other hand into Derek’s hair, massaging his scalp and pulling at the hair slightly.  
  
“Derek,” Stiles whispered. Derek growled softly against his skin and Stiles grinned. “Fuck, Derek, that was amazing. I didn’t think sex could get any more intense than when we claimed each other, but this beats that by a mile.”  
  
Derek grunted his agreement and nibbled at Stiles’ skin.  
  
“So, Derek. When were you going to tell me about the whole knotting thing?”  
  
Derek froze. Stiles laughed and said, “Good thing I did my research. I am going to kick Scott’s ass, though. That bastard lied to me when I asked him if he had a knot.”  
  
“I... I’m sorry, I should have warned you.”  
  
“Would have been nice, yeah,” Stiles said. “It hurts a bit, but it’s all good. Why now, though? Why not before?”  
  
“Knots only come out when wolves want to breed.”  
  
Stiles nodded slowly and Derek finally detached himself from Stiles’ neck, leaving behind several healing bruises. They looked into each other’s eyes and Stiles said, “So, are you trying to get me pregnant?”  
  
Derek narrowed his eyes. “You’re a guy. I’m pretty sure it’s impossible.”  
  
“ _Pretty_ sure? Not 100% sure?”  
  
“I mean, I’ve heard of rare cases where it’s happened, but nobody in my family has ever believed that rumor.”  
  
“So... I _might_ be pregnant?”  
  
“Stiles.”  
  
Stiles dissolved into giggles and Derek couldn’t help but smile. Stiles kept on giggling, so Derek kissed him, shutting him up. Stiles bit down on his lip after Derek pulled away, grinning. Derek leaned down until his mouth was right next to Stiles’ ear and he whispered, “When my knot goes away, I want you to knot me.”  
  
Stiles’ eyes went wide and his grin grew. “Oh, I’m going to make you my bitch, I’m going to _breed_ you and give you babies and --”  
  
“Oh my _god_ ,” Derek groaned. “I take it back. I take it back.”  
  
“Too late,” Stiles said and the smiles on their faces were the biggest the either of them had ever seen.   
  
“I love you.”  
  
“I love you too.”  
  
This time, the kiss was soft and slow as their tongues took their time exploring.  
  
  
For a long time, the Pack was at peace. They were a bit isolated from the rest of the town for a while since the memory of their impending deaths was still fresh on their minds, but eventually, things got better. The pack healed most of the wounds the individual members had, however, and they were a family.   
  
Unfortunately, the peace didn’t last forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh, it's over. At least, this one is. There'll be a sequel to this story, set several years into the future.
> 
> First things first, I feel a little bad for sending Brandon's parents to Hell, but whatever. Had to happen. Also, Kiziwi is Swahili for Deaf, which is why I picked it. I just needed a last name for him, and I hate coming up with names, so I went with that. I hope it's a good name. Brandon Kiziwi.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed the smut in the last scene. It was really hot in my mind, and I was like "Whoa, goddamn" but I'm just not sure if I was able to translate it into paper well. Let me know if I did, or if I didn't.
> 
> For those of you who are crying about Allison not coming back, I'm sorry. But yeah, casualties had to happen. As for Victoria... who knows what she's going to do?
> 
> Ugh, Gerard. Yes, he's going to be the villain of the next story. And advance warning for you guys - this trend of major character death will continue in the next story (it's pretty much a staple in this 'verse). It's a part of life, unfortunately. It'll all make sense in the end, I hope.
> 
> If you liked this, then please feel free to drop a comment or a kudos. I love them, it makes my day whenever I hear from you guys. I write for you all. 
> 
> If you've stuck through all 20 chapters, over 100K words, and read everything, then listen to this. THANK YOU. So very much. You are awesome. Thank you.


End file.
